One of the most exciting wines of my Oregon trip was also one of the last. It was at Antica Terra with the fabulous Maggie Harrison, on a day in wine country nicely captured in pictures with my travelling companion Elaine Brown here.

When it came to tasting Maggie’s wines, I was a little apprehensive. She was very charming and smart, but she trained with Manfred at Sine Qua Non – wines that are not made in a style that I really enjoy. Fortunately, Maggie’s wines reflect more her size than Manfred’s, and are really compelling. This Pinot was especially beguiling.

Antica Terra Antikythera Pinot Noir 2011 Oregon
12.5% alcohol. Very pure, fresh, supple and bright with red cherry and raspberry fruit. Quite pure and precise; juicy and focused with a lovely pure streak of cherry fruit. Lovely precision. Maggie says that it has a non-fruit intensity, a gravelly complexity about it, and I agree. It certainly has plenty of fruit, but it isn’t about the fruit. 95/100

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