An Afternoon with Formaglini Vineyards

Earlier this year when my family visited Oregon on our epic road trip one of the spots we wanted to check out was the Willamette Valley. The famed Oregon wine country seemed like a wonderful place to visit but as things go we ran out of time and never made it. A few months later I was invited to an afternoon gathering at the home of David de Lancellotti the founder of Formaglini Vineyards whose winery just so happens to be located in the heart of the Willamette Valley.

De Lancellotti founded the winery in 2006 in tribute to his family, the Formaglinis, who hailed from the small town of La Quercia in Italy. His intention was to connect his family’s past generation to its future through wine. When visiting the Willamette Valley he found the perfect spot – an abandoned Christmas Tree farm in the Chehalem Mountains AVA (American Viticultural Area). After years of work the inaugural vintage was released in 2014 – the 2012 Estate Pinot Noir.

The inaugural vintage yielded 100 cases which sold out in 90 days. A pretty impressive debut! Lucky for me, a bottle was spared so that I could try a sample.

The wine has a robust flavor with hints of blackberry and spice. It paired wonderfully with an array of cheeses David brought directly from Paris.

As an added treat we were able to try a barrel sample of a 2013 Pinot Noir/Lagrein blend and the 2014 Pinot Noir.

I was partial to the 2014 barrel sample with its hints of cherry and raspberry. I can only imagine how delicious it will be once it’s bottled and released in the Spring of 2016.

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with delicious wine, flavorful bites and friendly conversation. It was a pleasure getting to know David de Lancellotti and Formaglini Vineyards. I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.