Hamilton Russell Oregon, Ribbon Ridge (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Pinot Noir 2018

 I have loved Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from South Africa for years (and in print), so naturally I was very interested to see what Anthony and Olive Hamilton Russell have accomplished in the first Oregon Pinots I’ve been able to taste.  Both wines are terrific, ultra-serious and built to last, and to compete with the best the world has to offer, and I’m including Burgundy in that.  This bottling shows lovely perfume as soon as the cork is pulled, with fruit scents driving the action and oak notes very much in the background.  Spice and toast notes from wood are evident, along with some nascent savory accents, but taut fruit (recalling red and black cherries above all) remains at the forefront from start to finish in this wine.  Lithe and linear, with excellent purity and essentially perfect balance of acidity, fruit and tannin, this will age beautifully (which is to say, symmetrically).  My guess is that I’ll regret having underscored this wine after another 5 years, and that I’ll probably give it another bump up after a full decade.  This really deserves time.