It’s time to get excited about the Willamette Valley’s 2024 vintage Pinot Noir. Ever since the perfectly crisp, cool days of early October 2024, we’ve been excited for the wines. Winemakers came in talking about their “relaxing” harvests, where everything seemed to fall perfectly into place. Last year, a wave of beautifully intense white wines washed through the shop. Now that the Pinot Noirs are starting to drop, each new edition is going platinum on our palates. Witness this latest offer from Salem Wine Co. otherwise known as Evening Land’s second label, a blend of Pinot with just a 10% splash of Gamay for fun (and fresh red berry notes). The nose starts with big, bright brush strokes of black cherry and strawberry, rhubarb and orange peel, terracotta clay and violets. The palate is Pinot Noir at its finest, pure silk with talcum powder-fine tannins wrapped around fresh black and red cherries and oranges. There’s a dollop of Eola Amity clay on the finish, and citrus lingers to the horizon. Call this one a delicious start to a classic vintage.