2017 Hartford Court Warrior Princess Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Warrior Princess delivers provocative herbal notions of wild thyme and bay leaves over a core of red cherries, cranberries and tobacco leaf plus a waft of forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rugged texture of chewy tannins and enticing freshness, finishing long and earthy. 414 cases were made.

92 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown robertparker.com Feb 2020 Drink 2020-2028

Showing earthy, foresty complexity already, this has red cherries and a spicy thread, as well as leafy tones. The palate is quite open and fluid and builds a gently grainy tannin texture at the finish. Drink or hold.

92 points jamessuckling.com

2017 Hartford Court Warrior Princess Pinot Noir is a finely detailed and quietly expressive Oregon Pinot Noir, sourced from the Willamette Valley and shaped by Hartford Court’s long standing fascination with cool climate, marginal sites. Warrior Princess is named with a sense of affection and respect for a vineyard that demands patience and precision, producing small yields of intensely flavoured fruit. The Willamette Valley’s cool, temperate climate, long daylight hours and volcanic and marine sedimentary soils give Pinot Noir its trademark perfume, freshness and fine tannin structure, and this wine sits firmly in that elegant, site driven tradition.

Hartford Court was founded in the early 1990s by Don Hartford and Jennifer Altman, building a reputation for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that prioritise vineyard expression over winemaking imprint. While the estate is best known for its California bottlings, its work in Oregon reflects the same philosophy, restrained extraction, thoughtful oak use and an emphasis on balance rather than power. The 2017 vintage in the Willamette Valley was warm but even, producing wines with ripe fruit and excellent structure when handled carefully, and Warrior Princess captures that harmony beautifully.

In the glass the wine shows a bright ruby colour with excellent clarity. Aromas are lifted and complex, offering wild strawberry, red cherry, raspberry and rose petal, layered with subtle spice, forest floor and a hint of dried herbs. The palate is silky and finely textured, delivering pure red fruit, savoury undertones and gentle, powdery tannins carried by fresh acidity. There is a quiet persistence and poise to the finish, making the wine both immediately appealing and capable of graceful development. It pairs beautifully with roast duck, salmon, mushroom dishes and herb driven cuisine, and it will continue to evolve over eight to twelve years, gaining truffle, spice and earthy nuance with time.

2017 Hartford Court Warrior Princess Pinot Noir is a refined and balanced Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, offering elegance, perfume and restraint, and a fitting expression of both Oregon terroir and Hartford Court’s thoughtful, site first approach to Pinot Noir.