Belle Pente has been a part of the wine programs at Le Pigeon, Canard(s), Little Bird, and Flor from the get go. The winery was established in 1994 by Brian and Jill O'Donnell on a historic 1840s farmstead. The farming is organic with Biodynamic touches. Their winemaking philosophy centers on a 3-level gravity-flow system designed to minimize fruit manipulation and preserve the natural elegance of the estate's grapes.
This is our longest standing relationship with a winery and we are proud and thankful for it. On April 6th, Canard Beaverton hosted a wine dinner with Brian and Jill and selected these six wines to show the breadth of this great Oregon winery. The wines showed beautifully and we wanted to share them more broadly. So we are offering them through Flor as a 6 packs that includes wines from them you cannot find anywhere else.
Belle Pente is not about marketing and flash. It is about quality and complexity and letting the wines speak for themselves, and that they do.
These pack would be great to build a dinner around, but also a fun way to buy 6 wines at a great price, that each overdelivers.
Our 6 pack includes:
Belle Pente, 'Belle Oiseau, Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat Willamette Valley 2021
This wines is based on the edelzwicker, filed blends of Alsace. Originialy crafted as a house wine for Little Bird Bistro, or Bistrot Petit Oiseau, this is 50% Riesling, 30% Pinot Gris, and 20% Muscat. It is bright and dry with citrus, floral, and white peach aromas. The Pinot Gris gives just the right amount of mid-palate weight, before the Riesling acidity comes rushing in.
Belle Pente, 'XL' Pinot Gris Ramato, Willamette Valley, 2022
Ramato means copper in Italian, and this northern Italian inspired expression of Pinot Gris is copper to light red in the glass. Pinot Gris grapes are deep pink and almost red when fully ripe and then wine was made as lightly macerated red meant to be served chilled. Light berry, savory notes, textured, and fresh.
Belle Pente, Belle Pente Vineyard, Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton, 2021
The Belle Pente estae is 18 cares of grapes, and chardonnay is 2 of those. The BP Vineyard bottling is a barrel selection of the best barrels. 1/2 raised in Oregon oak and 1/2 in French oak, al of it mostly older barrels. The wine is classic in all the right ways - a truly titular chardonnay, showing orchard and citrus fruit on the noise, with a palate that is giving, but still framed with acidity. Best to serve this Oregon chard with some Oregon Coast crab!
Belle Pente, Belle Pente Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, 2022
2022 was a challenging vineyard that began with a serious frost that set the season back and led to one of the latest harvests in local history. Those challenges and cooler later ripening led to a '22 estate pinot that is wonderfully complex both taste and texturally. Lovely berries, and subtle spice, and notes for forest floor. The palate is elegant with great structure, without a lot of weight. It's all Oregon, but harkens to Burgundy in its feel.
Belle Pente, 'Riona's Block' Belle Pente Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton, 2021
Riona's block was planted in 1999, the year Riona, Brian and Jill's daughter was born. It is a small block of Pinot on the slope near their home. It is unique on the property, which is mostly sandstone based soils, in that it ha a vein of volcanic dust. Brian feels this brings out a red fruit and softness to the tannins. The wine shows some real structure and the fruit shows the warmth of the '21 season. It is a great example of a bigger, but very balanced Pinot.
Belle Pente, 'Vendage Tardive' Riesling, Yamhill Carlton, 2002 [375ml]
Pulled from the Belle Pente library, this little bottle of late harvest riesling is serious stuff. An amber color in the glass raises an eyebrow, but on the tongue it raises the mouth into a smile. Honey, chamomile, apricot, candied lemon, and on and on. Viscous and honeyed with undeniable Riesling zip.