Tom Mortimer is a native of Glenview, Illinois who pursued a career in the recycling of paper products. Tom had purchased a recycling plant with his partner in Dundee, Oregon while continuing to live in suburban Minneapolis with his wife Deb. In 1996, after several trips to the Oregon countryside, Tom and his wife purchased a 28-acre parcel of land on the southern slope of Parrett Mountain in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Twenty-one acres of this uncultivated property would become Le Cadeau vineyard, which is translated as “the gift” in French.
This wine is a collaboration with enologist and consultant Pierre Millemann from Nuits-Saint-Georges. The 2021 Le Cadeau Pierre Reserve Pinot Noir is sourced primarily of Calera and Dijon clones planted on the Eastern side of their vineyard with estate plantings of Vosne-Romanée clones and heritage clones from the Southern block. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The 2021 Le Cadeau Pierre Pinot Noir is an extremely expressive wine with an uber-serious personality. It is an intellectual wine that pushes the cerebral boundaries. Visually the wine reveals itself with a translucent violet edge that gives you a glimpse into its soul. The nose unveils aromas of crushed herbs and brambly spices. Within the broad mid-palate is a silky essence of blackberry liqueur, macerated Morello cherries and Oolong tea layered with finely ground minerals and a hint of thyme. There is a gentle earthiness and tension in the background, a grounding reminder of the unique stony terroir from which this wine is born. The wine has supple, polished tannins with a complex and refined framework that is reminiscent of a Volnay. This wine is built to age gracefully with a finish that is persistent and memorable. Congrats to Tom and his team for their expert craftsmanship.

By W Peter Hoyne