Winemaker's tasting notes: "Whoa Buddy, this is a whopper of a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir! The aged, brown stems really contributed to the aromas of this wine. Look for spices including vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, black licorice, with a touch of fennel leaf. The fruit portion is delicious cherry pie compote! Huge flavor impressions with rich, tannin grip texture await your taste buds. The 100% stem inclusion contributes so much complexity, we found dried tobacco leaf, burnt caramel /sugar(like the torched top of crème brulée), worn Corsican leather, caraway seed spices. Rich, ripe fruit includes blue berry and black cherry. The finish is forest floor earthy, with a hint of grape cluster stems balanced by rich fruit."

Wine Enthusiast: 92 Points “As the name suggests, this is fermented with stalks, not clusters, to ramp up the phenolics. The technique has been developed over the years to make it less intrusive and more complementary to the fruit. Here the tight cherry flavors are framed with accents of green hay, fennel and stem, which stiffen up the tannins. A light touch of maple syrup runs through the finish. It's a unique wine that will reward aeration.”