Appassionata, Fortissimo Pinot Noir
“Ernie Loosen, the great ambassador of German wines, selected this Oregon site for the ultimate expressivity and longevity. Named after Beethoven’s Appassionata’s finale, “Fortissimo” is not released until 10 years after vintage. This cuvée epitomizes everything Ernie is seeking in Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Inspired by the three movements of Beethoven’s ground-breaking “Appassionata” Piano Sonata, there are three Appassionata Pinot Noirs, released at different tempos. The finale of the Appassionata Pinot Sonata is Fortissimo (dynamically forceful) is a wine that combines brooding intensity with lilting grace and can stand alongside the classic wines of the world. The 2012 Fortissimo is muscular and full-bodied, with a deep colour and seamless structure. In this phase of maturation, tertiary aromas begin to show a profound complexity and subtle earthiness that only develops with bottle age and cannot be accelerated
Appassionata Estate began as a passion project for the renowned German winemaker Ernst Loosen. Erni’s lifelong love for exploring the world’s great Pinot Noirs drew him to Oregon nearly three decades ago. Over many visits, collecting wines and friends along the way, he realised that something special was going on in the Willamette Valley and began to dream of making wine here himself.
Never one to merely dream, Erni launched a small, collaborative project with J. Christopher Wines in 2005, bottling a very limited, highly selected Pinot Noir that he named Appassionata. A few vintages later, he put down roots in Oregon, purchasing 40 acres in the Chehalem Mountains, planting the Appassionata Vineyard, and building the winery. His long-term vision was to establish an enduring family wine estate, dedicated to growing and producing exquisitely expressive wines with extraordinary age ability. It has been two decades decades in the making, but that vision is now being fully realised.
