2020 Chad Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains Willamette Valley

The 2020 CHAD Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountain—made by one of the greatest wineries in Willamette Valley—is simply gorgeous, which is a major triumph, since it was born of an up-and-down growing season that included the most shocking extreme-heat event in Oregon history. 

Harvest in 2020 brought in a tiny crop of small, ultra-concentrated berry clusters. Even in the hands of Oregon’s most celebrated growers, yields slipped as much as 50% compared to 2019. However, in spite of all the craziness that Mother Nature unleashed, CHAD still brought in a beauty, anchored by a black-cherry and ripe-raspberry core and infused with great freshness and tension. 

Chad explained the 2020 vintage to us:  “The spring saw wide swings between early season heat then cool, wet conditions during flowering. We had issues with fruit set, leading to high amounts of shatter, smaller berries and smaller clusters. The summer was picture perfect, and everyone thought harvest would be a piece of cake. Then, right around Labor Day, the curve ball came.”

Near Labor Day, forecasters called for an “extreme heat event.”  As the high pressure responsible for the heat grew, meteorologists also predicted an extremely hot east wind. The result was one of the largest temperature gains in history—over 30 degrees in AN HOUR—after which the weather turned cool and conditions became exceedingly dry.  

“The winemaker who made this wine has been around the block,” Chad told us. “He’s seen a bit of everything, so he didn’t panic. He just waited and waited, finally making the call to harvest in early October, after a wild ride. There was very little fruit, about half of 2019, but the quality was there.”

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

• ABV 13.50%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Pinot Noir
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork