2018 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Cuvee X Willamette Valley

Numbers are only part of the story in wine. And when we poured the 2018 Cuvée X against a lineup of high-scoring stunners from Burgundy and California, this wine won out—and made those bottles’ $40+ prices and impressive scores vaporize. 

Granted, there are a few numbers we can’t ignore:

4: The number of Cuvée X allocations that Wine Access Pinot lovers completely cleaned out last year. 

5: The number of our wine team members who put dibs on a case after tasting this 2018.

Lemelson is one of the most reliably excellent values in Willamette Valley Pinot, and Cuvée X is one of our favorite bottlings. It exemplifies why Wine Enthusiast, in an article titled “America’s Best Pinot Noirs,” named Lemelson an “elite” producer, alongside the likes of Archery Summit and Domaine Serene.

Harvested from organically farmed estate vines in Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountains, and Yamhill-Carlton, the 2018 Cuvée X benefited from a summer that powered on like a driver taking a second victory lap. The grapes hung long on the vines, slowly ripening in the soft September sun, letting their immense complexity and concentration come to bear. When it was all said and done, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate had scored the 2018 vintage as the Willamette Valley’s greatest ever. 

Our advice to Pinot collectors: Stock up on every 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot you can—especially ones that come from top estates. Here’s your chance to get one from a stellar producer for a phenomenal price.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.60%
• Enjoy right away
• Now – 2028
• % Pinot Noir
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Screw cap