Le Cadeau Vineyard Pinot Noir Red Label
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The “Red Label” Pinot Noir is an estate collaboration between winemakers Steve Ryan & Jim Sanders.
- Crafted from 100% estate-grown fruit, “Red Label” provides Le Cadeau with an opportunity to select seven barrels from almost every block of Le Cadeau Vineyard – fruit that is typically destined for their Cote Est, Diversite, Equinoxe, & Rocheux cuvees.
- The result is a beautiful, small-production representation of their vineyard site.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: Traditional vinification with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. After the fermentation process, the wine ages for 11 months in French oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Beautiful translucent ruby color with excellent clarity. Aromas of strawberries, fresh red cherries, and raspberry. On the palate, bright, fresh, cherry flavors with accents of cinnamon and vanilla– wrapped in a soft, round, texture, and finishing with persistent acidity and the characteristic Le Cadeau minerality.
PRESS
2016 – 91 Vinous
2017 – 90 James Suckling | 92 Wine Spectator
2018 – 91 James Suckling | 94 Wine Spectator
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Tom Mortimer and his wife, Deb, began their search for the perfect vineyard site in 1996. Tom’s passion for wine collecting and his love of Oregon finally merged a year later with the purchase of the 28-acres of raw hillside property. Extensive clearing and land preparation followed before the first 6-acres of Pinot Noir were planted. In June of 2005– after 8-years of development—the 2002 vintage of estate grown Le Cadeau Pinot Noir was released.
Located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA of the Willamette Valley, Le Cadeau wines are made exclusively from estate-grown Pinot Noir. Clonal diversity results in aromatic nuance and rich flavor profiles, while the volcanic basalt soils add lingering minerality on the finish.
From the beginning, the Mortimers have been committed to meticulous farming, believing that great wine always traces its roots back to the vineyard. The high-elevation south-facing slope is sustainably farmed, LIVE certified, and incorporates many biodynamic practices.
Long-time winemakers Jim Sanders and Steve Ryan—with input from Burgundian consultant Pierre Millemann—produce signature Le Cadeau cuvées, each reflecting specific attributes of the estate vineyard.
Le Cadeau translates as “the gift” but the wine is not the gift; the wine is only the excuse. The gift is the beauty of the land in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, joy-filled relationships, and the freedom and opportunity to pursue this dream.