2016-2018 Holocene "Apocrypha" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Vertical

“Coming from a warmer, more southern site in Oregon (Maggie Harrison at Antica Terra also pulls fruit from this site), the 2016 Pinot Noir Apocrypha is a gorgeous looking barrel sample that has a ripe, sexy, gorgeously pure style to go with classic notes of black cherries, spice, kirsch and licorice. Brought up in 40% new French oak and scheduled to be bottled with no filtration, it’s a beauty that will keep for a decade. (JD)” (06/2017)

“More blue fruits and black cherry notes, as well as lots of violets and sappy herbs, emerge from the 2017 Pinot Noir Apocrypha, a bigger, slightly richer wine than the Memorialis cuvée. With vibrant acidity, fine tannin, and a great finish, it's another beautiful wine from Todd that will evolve beautifully.” (04/2018)

“This is a new, under-the-radar project from Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander. The grapes are sourced from Antiquum Farm. This is a spicy, sleek wine with a strong mineral component. The fruit is ripe, dense and precise, conjuring up brambly raspberry, blackberry and a bit of sandstone. Barrel aging adds sweet baking spices to a lingering finish. Fermented with native yeast, it was finished in 25% new French oak. (PG)” (01/2020)

“Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Apocrypha has delicate aromas of red berries with accents of dried flowers, earth and dried orange peel. The palate is light to medium-bodied with bright, spicy fruits and a nuanced, uplifted finish. 140 cases were made. (EB)” (04/2020)

“Coming from more volcanic, south-facing soils, the 2018 Pinot Noir Apocrypha was 15% destemmed and will see 16 months in 20% new barrels. It’s a slightly darker-hued and darker fruited effort offering lots of blue fruits, iron, violets, and mineral aromatics. While it was basically not destemmed, there are no obvious stems on either the nose or palate, and it’s beautifully balanced, has bright acidity, medium to full-bodied richness, and a great finish. It’s another rock star of a Pinot Noir from Todd Alexander.” (04/2020)

“The Apocrypha is a blend of 115 and 113 clones growing in a vineyard about an hour south of Yamhill Carlton. This wine sees 16 months in about 25% new French oak barrels and 80% whole cluster fermentation. The Apocrypha is much richer, darker, and structured than its sister Memorialis. With a beautiful color of pure violet and expressive aromatics, this is a wine that shall be allowed to sit for several hours in your glass and let it unfold its magic over time. Aromas of blueberry pie, fresh blackberry, and saddle jump out of the glass. The palate is full of gorgeous flavors of bramble, marionberry, forest floor, and wet stone. The wine comes together as a perfectly-balanced treat in your mouth. (TW)” (11/2020)

“This is the fourth vintage for this Pinot Noir project from Force Majeure winemaker Todd Alexander. It's a single-vineyard cuvée (vineyard unidentified) with incredible aromatic intensity emphasizing lush blackberry and marionberry fruit. There's a compelling sweetness to both aromas and flavors, the powerful fruit accented with a dusting of savory herbs. This wine keeps adding length and complexity as it breathes open, and may continue to improve over the next half decade or longer. *Editors' Choice* (PG)” (03/2021)