Colene Clemons Pinot Noir Dopp Creek 2021

Oregon Pinot can sometimes feel like it’s trying too hard to be Burgundy, or worse, trying too hard to be California. But Colene Clemens hits that elusive sweet spot where the fruit is undeniably Willamette, but the structure is pure class.

The 2021 Dopp Creek is their “estate blend”—a highlight reel of their rocky, high-elevation site in the Chehalem Mountains—and in a vintage as balanced as ’21, it’s absolutely singing.

Winemaker Steve Goff (formerly of the legendary Beaux Frères) has a knack for coaxing power out of these vines without losing the soul of the grape. For a wine at this price point to consistently pull 90+ scores from the big critics is rare, but honestly, the juice speaks for itself.