Panther Creek 2014 Lazy River Pinot, Wine of the Week | Great NW Wine

Panther Creek Cellars 2014 Lazy River Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton

$45

The Lumpkins, successful and proud University of Washington grads, established their 30-acre Lazy River Vineyard in 2000 on Mount Richmond near Yamhill, Ore. In addition to their own winery, they sell to a handful of premier producers in the Willamette Valley, and Tony Rynders gets to work with their fruit on behalf of Panther Creek. He applies a practice of less than a year in barrel — eight months in 47% new French oak here — to keep the focus on that prized fruit. It creates a mood of black currant and plums with a subtext of white pepper, nutmeg and clove. Subtle tannins lead to a delicious and trailing finish of cassis and Marionberry.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 265 cases

Alcohol: 14.2%