2016 Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir
Posted on: 04/13/18 5:17 PM
The 2016 Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir does not waste any time trying to impress. Nor does it need
to. Owen Roe’s second label Sharecropper’s series has always been a reliable (and reliably
priced) weeknight bottle of wine. The 2016 is the best it has been in years and you’ll quickly
understand why it has ascended to become a top contender for our best value domestic Pinot.
Don’t miss this masterclass on gorgeous, vibrant Willamette fruit reaching new heights with the
outstanding 2016 Oregon vintage.
Tasting Note: It’s easy to just point to the fruit and pronounce it a winner. But while the fruit is
gorgeously opulent and actually tastes/feels like Pinot (a rarity at this price point), it is the body
loaded with pure ripe fruit, yet beautifully, refreshingly light on its toes. An absolute no-brainer for Willamette fans.
More About the Wine
It was a horrible time to start a business. When Owen Roe began operations in 2001, the recession was in full swing. Consumers weren’t spending money on wine and Oregon growers were having a terrible time selling their fruit. Without cash to pay the farmers up front, the upstart winery was watching tons (literally) of pristine fruit go to waste. To overcome this, the Roe decided sharecropping could potentially work. They would receive the fruit for nothing, make the wine, then share the profits with the growers. Needless to say, but it was a tremendous success.
Today Owen Roe can afford to pay the growers upfront and Sharecropper’s has become a
nationally recognized name on the shelf for superb value. It’s a great success story and even the
crustiest wine cynic can’t help but give the Roe team some credit. Deftly combining intimate
artisanal quality (all the fruit is hand harvested, low intervention, minimal processing) on a
volume designed for the national stage (and national attention) Sharecroppers while produced
in tremendous volume does not feel that way. It is a highly impressive show and the 2016 is
their best to date.
Tasting Note: Hey this tastes like good Pinot. Really good. It’s easy to just point to the fruit
(cherry, red berries) and pronounce it a winner. But there’s more going on here. While the fruit
is gorgeously opulent and actually tastes/feels like Pinot (a rarity at this price point), it is the body which feels loaded, yet beautifully, refreshingly light.
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