Tasting Notes for 2014 Mad Violets Mantis Reserve Pinot Noir.
Mad Violets was started by Sterling Fox and Kelly Kidneigh in Oregon. They are a family team, Sterling grows the grapes, and Kelly makes the wine. They have created these wines that are so illustrious of Oregon. They created Mantis reserve using their favorite barrels from vintage selection and bled them together. 2014 was a six barrel blend, and those six barrels came from two vineyard sites. They used Buttonfield vineyard Pinot Noir (which is one they own) and Trout Lilly Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir. All Pinot Noir used in the blends are two types of clones the first being Pommard clones, and the second being 777 clones. The wine is blended and made to age.
How I have been taught to taste wine is as follows:
Sight, Smell, Taste. So I will break down the wine in that order.
Sight: Deep garnet red, almost purple hues.
Smell: On the nose I get plum, tart cherry, and high tone fruit like strawberry and raspberry.
Taste: There is bright acidity, lots of high tone fruit, and baking spices, its layered and complex with a soft silky tannin to round out the wine.
This wine drinks amazingly well and the winemaker suggests that it can easily age for ten to fifteen years.
This wine is available for purchase via pre-order at Vines & Forks, Winter Park.
