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Franchere

Zenith Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

Sale price: $25.95 Regular price:$36.95
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Tasting notes

Pommard and 115 clone fruit from LIVE-certified marine sedimentary soils delivers a savory, earthy Pinot Noir with firm acidity and no new oak to obscure it. The Van Duzer Corridor cooling keeps everything fresh and structured rather than plush.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
Taste profile
EarthCherryMushroomMineral
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; savory and earthy; firm acidity; 13.9% ABV; Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Pinot Noir (Pommard clone block 9-E, planted 2006; plus 115 clone); LIVE-certified sustainable; marine sedimentary soils, Eola-Amity Hills AVA
  • Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation; no new oak; no fining or filtration; no added enzymes, tannins, or colorants; neutral oak barrel aging
  • Serving: Serve at 58–62°F; 20–30 min decant recommended; cellar-worthy
  • Pairing: Roasted duck, salmon, mushroom dishes, Gruyère, aged chèvre
  • Similar To: For fans of restrained, terroir-driven Pinot Noir from cool-climate sites — think Eola-Amity and northern Burgundy styles

Zenith Vineyard sits in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of Oregon's Willamette Valley, on marine sedimentary soils at elevations typical of the ridge (250–700 feet). Originally planted in 1982 as the O'Connor Vineyard, it was purchased by Tim and Kari Ramey in 2002 and replanted beginning in 2003. The site holds LIVE certification and is farmed without irrigation or herbicides. Wine Enthusiast named it one of five great Oregon vineyards worth knowing.

For the 2014 vintage, winemaker Mike Hinds sourced primarily from block 9-E — Pommard clone planted in 2006 — along with a small portion of 115 clone. Grapes were picked on September 14th. Hinds fermented with native yeasts only and used no new oak, no enzymes, no added tannins, colorants, water, or gums. Aging took place in neutral oak barrels.

The result is a Pinot Noir driven by site expression rather than winemaking intervention. The Eola-Amity Hills marine sedimentary soils and the afternoon cooling from the Van Duzer Corridor — which funnels Pacific air through a gap in the Coast Range — contribute to firm acidity, savory character, and a darker, earthier profile than many Willamette Valley counterparts. John Gilman reviewed this wine in View from the Cellar and described Franchere as a name to watch.

At 13.9% ABV this is a wine built for the table and the cellar. The 2014 vintage was Hinds' second commercial release, and the Zenith bottling scored 88 points from Wine Enthusiast.

The savory, high-acid profile suits roasted duck, mushroom-based dishes, and salmon with earthy preparations. Aged pinot-friendly cheeses like Gruyère or a firm chèvre also work well. Avoid heavy sauces that will overwhelm the wine's restraint.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Pinot Noir
Farming:, Sustainable
Vintage:, 2014
Alcohol:, 13.9%
Country:, United States
Region:, Eola-Amity Hills
Appellation:, Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Franchere

Franchere Wine Company was founded by Mike Hinds, an Oregon native who discovered wine while working in Chicago retail shops. After returning to Oregon around 2012, Hinds took viticulture classes at Chemeketa Community College, worked as a cellar hand at Illahe Vineyards, and produced his first commercial wines in 2013. He named the label after his great-great-great grandfather, Gabriel Franchère, who arrived in Oregon in 1811 aboard the ship Tonquin and helped establish Fort Astoria.

Hinds sources from vineyards farmed organically, biodynamically, or sustainably — in all cases without irrigation or systemic herbicides. He hand-farms approximately 15 percent of his own production. For purchased fruit, he looks for dry-farmed sites whose farming practices align with his low-intervention approach.

In the winery, all fermentations proceed with native yeasts. Hinds adds no enzymes, tannins, colorants, water, adjuncts, or gums, and never uses new oak barrels. Wines are unfiltered. The approach prioritizes site expression and balance over extraction or obvious oak character.

Wine region

Eola-Amity Hills, United States

The Eola-Amity Hills AVA was established in 2006 within the larger Willamette Valley AVA, sitting northwest of Salem in Polk and Yamhill Counties. The main north-south ridge carries vineyard sites at elevations between 250 and 700 feet. Soils are predominantly shallow, rocky, and well-drained — a mix of volcanic basalt from ancient lava flows and marine sedimentary rock — which limits vine vigor and promotes concentration in the fruit.

The defining climatic influence is the Van Duzer Corridor, a gap in the Oregon Coast Range that allows cool Pacific Ocean air to push through the hills, dropping temperatures sharply on late summer afternoons. This keeps acid levels firm as grapes ripen. The region sits in the Region I heat accumulation category, making it one of Oregon's coolest growing areas. Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 80 percent of plantings, with Chardonnay and Pinot Gris as secondary varieties. The AVA is home to more than 125 vineyards and 33 wineries.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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