2014 Panther Creek Cellars Winemaker's Cuvee Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 750 ml

Showing maturity in its garnet color and developing aromas of dried cherries, macerated strawberries, truffles, and leather, the ‘14 Winemaker’s Cuvée retains beautiful primary raspberry, wild herb, and forest floor character. The palate shows great energy and freshness, with the tannins now softening into a silken texture, carrying flavors of black cherry, mushroom, and allspice. A snapshot of a fantastic vintage, this will drink beautifully through 2025. 

Panther Creek Cellars boasts a pedigree that few Willamette wineries can match. It was founded in 1986 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. When new owners took the reins in 2013, they knew where the bar had been set, so their first call was to Tony Rynders, the man who had guided Domaine Serene, perhaps Oregon’s best-known winery, to the top. Rynders was the head of winemaking at Domaine Serene for ten years, and was responsible for the winery’s smashing success: During his decade there, 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.

That deft touch shows in the 93-point 2014 Winemaker’s Cuvée, a snapshot of four Willamette Valley AVAs—Eola-Amity Hills, Dundee Hills, Yamhill-Carlton, and Chehalem Mountains—that’s aged in French oak (15% of it new) for eight months before bottling. This was one of our top finds from our last trip to the Northwest, and we can’t wait to share it with you.