Longplay, Pinot Noir, 2007, Lia's Vineyard, Chehalem Mountain, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Once again there is more proof that you don’t have to be a total baller to be able to afford good terroir-driven Oregon Pinot.  I’m not gonna tell you exactly how sweet of a value this lovely little 2007 Pinot is.  All I know is if you stop by the tasting room to pick up a bottle, you won’t be sorry.  Longplay is a relatively new winery which sources the vast majority of its fruit from its own Lia’sVineyard in the Chehalem Mountain AVA.  I decided to taste their initial 2007 Pinot over a number of days to see how it might evolve in the glass.  This 2007 had a crimsony-brown slightly oxidized color on the first pour.  Kelly put it a bit more bluntly as looking like a cup of menstrual blood.  

The nose was fairly closed but had hints of rust, salt, and alcohol.  It had a light but elegant body that rang true for a cooler Willamette Valley vintage.  On the flavor profile, this wine was certainly hiding any potential fruit notes but giving up soft and slightly sour rhubarb with soft tannins.  Over the next few days the heat blew off the nose revealing sweet pure cherry, smoky wood, and mineral notes.  Those cherry notes really started to sing on the flavor profile as well with hints of cola and watermelon.    Although this wine is not without its faults, it is true to the vintage and shows off the lightness and purity of Lia’s vineyard fruit.  7 of Hearts makes a great Lia’s Pinot as well.  I’m putting y’all on notice right here and right now.  Longplay is a winery and Lia’s is a vineyard to watch.