Left Coast Cellars White Pinot Noir

Yes, you read that right, the Left Coast Estate White Pinot Noir is a white wine made from red grapes.

93% Pinot Noir and 7% Pinot Blanc from Willamette Valley, Oregon.

The fruit is crushed at extremely cold temperatures to ensure minimal color transfer from the skins. The juice is fermented in 100% stainless steel and aged on the lees for 5 months.

Sample submitted for review. The Left Coast Estate White Pinot Noir has an SRP of $24 and is available for as low as $16. 7,186 cases produced. Ready to buy? Check your local retailers.

From the bottle:

Our White Pinot Noir began as an improvisation. In the rainy 2011 vintage, our vineyards produced beautifully developed, yet slightly under ripe Pinot Noir. The flavor profile of the grapes was perfectly suited for a white wine.

Rather than trying to impose our will on the vineyards, we followed our winemaking philosophy of embracing the irregularities of each vintage and created White Pinot Noir. Bright fruit filled aromatics matched with a clean refined structure through the palate.

13.7% Alcohol

Well, this is certainly a unique one! A white wine made from red grapes. The color in red wine actually comes from contact with the skins, so while it is not common at all, it is possible to produce a white wine from red grapes if you can minimize the skin contact. (Think of it as like a really, really, really light rosé.) That’s exactly what Left Coast Cellars has done here and it’s surprisingly delightful.

The 2018 Left Coast Estate White Pinot Noir begins with quite a mix of pleasing aromas on the nose. There’s lots of floral notes, a little cherry, a little pear, a little citrus, a little spice and more. Tasting the wine reveals lots of sweet, delicious fruit and a smooth, almost unctuous mouthfeel. The pear, apple and melon flavors are richer than your average white wine and it also has a bit of spice and minerality. It ends with a crisp, dry finish of lasting sweet, tart fruit.

Ready to buy? Check your local retailers.