Pale to medium ruby in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Thea's Selection is scented of crushed black cherries, blackberries and blueberries with notes of cardamom, autumn leaves and black licorice. Medium-bodied, it tends toward black fruits in the mouth with nuances of forest floor, mushroom and spice, framed by firm, grainy tannins and just enough acidity to carry the finish. 12,133 cases produced.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Thea's Selection comes from three AVAs and is matured in 25% new French oak. It felt quite tight on the nose at first and demanded coaxing from the glass, remaining a little chalky and earthy as it opens up. The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit and quite firm tannin; it is a Pinot Noir that does not quite "flow" as I was expecting. Perhaps it just needs more time in bottle? I will be conservative with my score for now, but it would not surprise me if it deserves a more generous score after a couple of years.

Fresh pomegranate and red raspberry offer a tartly juicy foundation for the Lemelson 2010 Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection, a multi-vineyard blend that represents the winery’s introductory level, but which is still aged in over 40% new barrels that have left behind strong – and given the tartness of this wine’s fruit flavors, slightly discordant – impressions of caramelized resin and vanilla custard, not to mention accentuating a slight rusticity of tannin. This certainly exhibits good sheer persistence and enough vigor to be worth watching for at least several years, though I daresay it was intended to drink well young. Although he practiced environmental law for some years, Eric Lemelson was by then already smitten with Pinot and in a position to plant a vineyard in 1995 and build a state-of-the-art winery in time to receive its first harvest. The number of estate vineyards planted by Lemelson now stands at seven, several subjected to dedicated bottlings. Anthony King arrived here as winemaker from California in 2006. Mindful of the tannic proclivities I witnessed in the wines I tasted, King says he is sparing with punch-downs. He also notes that he put his wines to barrel after somewhat less settling in 2010 as his 2009s taste woodier than he had wanted, adding (and echoing many other winemakers I spoke with) that the inexplicable proclivity of Willamette Pinot Noir to reduce is what keeps him from putting wine into barrel “dirty” (i.e. without settling). The percentage of new oak varies from one- to two-thirds, though hearing the names of Lemelson’s favored tonneliers suggested to me one reason for the prevalence of smoky, toasty, and overtly wood resin character whose prominence bothered me in several of their wines. Apropos which, readers will perceive that I’m out-of-step with the generally highly laudatory consensus about these wines among my fellow critics, and I’ll be especially anxious to taste Lemelson releases again next year, having had no time to follow-up on my sole session in July. (Incidentally, this is among the many Willamette Valley wineries to label with that broad appellation, even where a more specific A.V.A. applies.) Tel. (503) 852-6619

Lemelson’s entry level is the 2009 Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection, a seven vineyard blend. It is a sweetly-fruited effort with some complexity, a bit of structure, good concentration, and medium length. This nicely proportioned Pinot will be at its best from 2012 to 2019. Lemelson Vineyards makes their wines with native yeast fermentations and bottles them without fining or filtration. Tel. (503) 852-6619; www.lemelsonvineyards.com