2014 Panther Creek Cellars Pinot Noir Schindler Vineyard Eola Amity Hill 750 ml

100-case Bottling Never Escapes the Tasting Room

On a recent trip to the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Auction, we got exactly what we had hoped for: copious amounts of incredible, expressive Pinot. One winery always stands out, and this visit was no different—Panther Creek, an under-the-radar producer with a reputation for stunning single vineyard Pinot Noirs.

We were thrilled to leave with an allocation of Panther Creek’s exclusive Schindler Vineyard release. A silken, elegant, single-vineyard red, this 100-case bottling never escapes the tasting room. From the stunning 2014 vintage, it showcases classic cherry and red plum aromatics, tinged with spice. This is the kind of wine that put Oregon on the map, and invites deep conversations and heavy, repeated pours.

The standards at Panther Creek Cellars have been sky-high from day one: The winery was founded by Ken Wright, the Oregon legend who pioneered single-vineyard bottlings and whose name now stands as one of the most famous in Willamette Valley. So when Panther Creek’s current owners took the reins in 2013, they knew where the bar was—and their first call was to a winemaker they were sure could clear it: Tony Rynders, the man who had guided Domaine Serene, perhaps Oregon’s best-known winery, to the top.

Prior to Panther Creek, Tony was the head of winemaking at Oregon’s famed Domaine Serene for ten years, but it would be more accurate to say he was responsible for Domaine Serene’s smashing success: During his decade at the winery, he racked up more 90+-point scores from Wine Spectator than any other winemaker—not just in Oregon, not just in the U.S., but in the world.

In the Schindler vineyard Pinot Noir, Rynders has created another classic which Wine Enthusiast calls “a delicious mix of earth, rock, leaf, cherry and chocolate notes, with some pretty orange peel highlights.” We call it a must-have from one of Oregon’s top winemakers, and a rarity outside the tasting room since just 100 cases were ever produced.