2022 Adelsheim Vineyard Breaking Ground Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 6pk 6x750ml

David Adelsheim planted the first Pinot Noir vines in the shadow of the Chehalem Mountains in 1972 — one of the first Oregon wineries, the first in Chehalem Mountains. What started as 19 acres along Quarter Mile Lane outside Newberg became 183 estate acres sustainably farmed across eight vineyards, all within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. That half-century of site knowledge is the entire reason this bottle exists.

Breaking Ground was released in 2016 to mark David's 45-year commitment to the region — the name a nod to his refusal to coast on legacy. The wine pulls fruit from all three major soil types found on the Chehalem Mountains: marine sedimentary, volcanic basalt, and windblown loess. LIVE-certified, estate-grown, and blended to capture the full breadth of what the AVA offers.

The 2022 is sleek and elegant — hibiscus tea, fresh cherry, cinnamon bark, and nutmeg on the nose, echoed on the palate and framed by finessed, fine-grained tannins. Matured ten months in 28% new French oak. Winemaker Dave Paige (at Adelsheim since 2001, UC Davis grad) calls it the kind of wine you drink with everything. He's not wrong.

Owen Bargreen scored it 93 points. The retail is $45. You're paying $49.99 for the six-pack — under $8.35 a bottle. The kind of Willamette Pinot that makes grocery-store red taste emotionally vacant.