92 pts & an Orange Cat Named Fig: The Story Behind Haden Fig Pinot Noir
There are plenty of Oregon Pinot Noirs on our shelves, but every once in a while, we come across one that reminds us just how much character and value the Willamette Valley can deliver, not surprisingly, given that its cool climate shares plenty with Burgundy.
                           Regular Price: $31.99
Haden Fig is the personal label of winemaker Erin Nuccio, who also owns and makes the wines at Evesham Wood. Erin's path to Oregon actually started behind the counter of a wine shop in Washington, D.C., where bottles from the Willamette Valley first caught his attention. He later worked in wine distribution in Massachusetts before heading west to study viticulture and enology and eventually settling in Oregon.
And the name? That may be our favorite part.
When Erin and his wife Jordan had their son, Haden, Erin was trying to figure out what to call his fledgling winery. Their orange cat Fig happened to walk by and Haden Fig was born.
The 2024 Haden Fig Pinot Noir brings together fruit from four Willamette Valley vineyards, with nearly equal portions from Cancilla, Croft and Freedom Hill, plus a smaller amount from Torres Hill. These largely sedimentary sites give the wine plenty of natural structure, while the 2024 vintage brings the kind of freshness we love in Oregon Pinot.
On the nose, there's wild strawberry, raspberry and rose petal, with darker plum and a subtle savory note underneath. On the palate, the fruit gets a little more serious, ripe cherry and black raspberry alongside hibiscus, black tea, wild herbs and a touch of wet stone. The acidity keeps the wine lively, while fine tannins give the finish enough grip to make you reach for another sip.
It's also a vintage we're excited about. Across Oregon, growers reported a long, relatively pressure-free ripening season that allowed them to wait for flavor development while retaining natural acidity. Willamette Valley producers described 2024 as a return to a more classic Oregon vintage, with slow ripening, fresh acidity and refined tannins.
Vinous – 92 Points
Spicy and lifted, with wild herbs, wet stone and strawberry leading into ripe cherry and bright, juicy acidity.
James Suckling – 92 Points
Bright berry and rose-petal aromatics give way to raspberry, plum and red fig, with a light-to-medium-bodied, plush and inviting feel.
Paul Gregutt – 91 Points
Gregutt found tart raspberry and pomegranate alongside savory herbs, silky texture and enough tannin to give the wine a defined finish. He also notes that just 1,500 cases were produced.
For us, this is exactly the kind of Oregon Pinot we want to drink: fresh and red-fruited, but with enough savory detail and structure to keep you coming back to the glass. It has the delicacy we look for in Pinot without becoming thin or overly polished.
It's delicious now, but the fruit, acidity and moderate tannin suggest it should evolve nicely over the next several years. We'd happily drink it now through roughly 2031.
At the table, we'd reach for roast chicken with mushrooms and herbs, duck, pork tenderloin or roasted salmon with lentils, dishes where the wine's acidity and savory character can really show themselves. If cooking isn't in the cards tonight, we'd happily order Peking duck and enjoy just how well the wine's red fruit and freshness work against the crispy skin, rich meat and sweet-savory sauce.
And honestly, this is one of those Pinots that doesn't require dinner. Pour a glass, let it open up, and you'll find plenty going on all by itself.
