2021 00 Wines Pinot Noir Shea

Dusty and floral, the 2021 Pinot Noir Shea wafts up with a whiff of autumnal spice and dusty rose, giving way to vivid black cherry. Cooling and energetic, crisp red fruits and hints of citrus flow across the palate, all motivated by brisk acidity. A gentle tannic tension lingers as the 2021 tapers off long and crunchy with a lasting hard red candy character. Beautiful today, but with a bright future ahead, this is a total pleasure to taste.

Hand destemmed and amphora fermented, the 2021 Pinot Noir Shea pours a ripe ruby and reveals aromas of framboise, wild fresh forest earth, and a hint of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, it has great concentration while remaining focused, with ripe tannins and an elegant mouthfeel. Long on the palate, with outstanding balance and fresh purity of fruit, this is a very elegant expression of this site. Drink 2024-2040. 00 Wines, founded by husband-and-wife duo Katherine and Christopher Hermann, exclusively produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They derived the name “00” from numerology and say it represents true and absolute potential. Their first vintage was in 2015, and in 2017 they moved to a shared winemaking facility that they operate out of today. Katherine takes charge of the creative direction with packaging and communications. Her background in marketing brought her to New York City and Boulder, Colorado, working for technology startups, before arriving in the Willamette Valley. Prior to establishing 00 Wines, Christopher was a legal advisor for nearly 40 years for many of the top names in the wine and spirits industry, practicing environmental law. They are inspired by the great wines of Burgundy and implement many Burgundian techniques, advised by their consultant Pierre Millemann and their winemaker Wynne Peterson-Nerdry. Last year I was not able to taste their reds, but it proved to be well worth the wait. They display another level of purity and depth from truly exceptional sites. Also on the horizon for the 00 Wines team are two relatively new projects in both Burgundy and Champagne, which I will be able to share with our readers when I taste them in September of this year.