2012 Appassionata Fortissimo

Appassionata Estate began as a passion project for the renowned German winemaker Ernst Loosen, whose lifelong love for exploring the world’s great Pinot Noirs drew him to Oregon nearly three decades ago. Appassionata seeks the greatest potential for wines from a very special place in the volcanically formed, flood-washed hills of the cool-climate Willamette Valley. The wines celebrate the unique climatic and geological characteristics that make this wine region so highly prized by wine lovers the world over, with a singular focus on ageability and extended bottle maturation before release. The Fortissimo Pinot Noir is crafted for ultimate expressivity and longevity, and is not released until a minimum of 10 years after the vintage. This is the epitome of expressive excellence that Ernst Loosen is seeking in Willamette Valley Pinot Noir — a wine that combines brooding intensity with lilting grace, and displays the great ageing potential that can be achieved in Oregon. The exceptional 2012 vintage in Oregon The 2012 growing season began with nearly perfect conditions: normal flowering, coolish weather, and a moderate crop size. It turned warm and dry in the summer, but there was no extreme heat and the fruit developed beautifully. As harvest approached it became even warmer, but a few days of cooling rain maintained a perfect ripeness and balance in the grapes. In the end, we harvested a very clean, healthy crop of beautifully ripe fruit. The wines are fleshy and fruit-dominant, with rich, dark fruit flavors and fine, well-integrated tannins. Tasting notes The 2012 Fortissimo is elegantly muscular and full-bodied, with a deep color and a seamless, silky texture. In this phase of its maturation, tertiary aromas begin to show a profound complexity and a subtle, haunting earthiness that can only develop with bottle age.