Fossil & Fawn Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2022

Partners (in life and in wine) Jenny Mosbacher and Jim Fischer Jr. may not take themselves too seriously, but they are quite serious about land stewardship, organic viticulture and low-intervention, downright delicious, balanced wine. Since 2011, the two have been have been producing “odd and yummy” wines (their words) from 15 acres of vines Jim planted about a decade earlier, with his father’s help, on the Fischer family’s Silvershot property in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA and neighboring sustainably farmed vineyards. Though their initial goal was to showcase their particularity of place in American terroir, the idea has blossomed into creating expressions they personally enjoy drinking, made via “a natural approach that allows the vineyard to do the talking… We aren't too interested in bold manifestos or style declarations—our goal is to make wines that we like,” says their website. Wines are fermented naturally, they avoid fining and filtering, and the bare minimum amount of sulfur is used at bottling. This pinot noir comes from three organically farmed vineyards (their own Silvershot Vineyard, No Clos Radio, which they own with Ross and Bee Maloof, and nearby Finnigan Hill), with vines ranging from 14-47 years of age. Almost all the fruit was destemmed and underwent about two weeks maceration before being aged in neutral French and Oregon oak for nine months. The result is a stunning example of Oregon pinot that offers a crunchy red fruit core, gravelly-mushroomy accents and delicate tannins. Organically farmed, low-intervention/natural wine.