Haden Fig Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard Tualatin Hills, Willamette Valley, OR
Overview:
Erin Nuccio had a successful career as a wine retailer and distributor in Washington, DC and Massachusetts. While he loved wines from appellations all over the world, those from Oregon’s Willamette Valley really spoke to him. His desire to get on the winemaking side of the business led him first to Northern California, where he took enology courses and cut his teeth at various vineyards. Still, the Willamette Valley beckoned, and he headed north. There, he met Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, and an apprenticeship with him led to the birth of Haden Fig.
The 2022 Haden Fig Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard is a refined, site-expressive Oregon Pinot that emphasizes elegance, restraint, and transparency. Sourced from a single vineyard in the Tualatin Hills, this wine reflects a thoughtful, low-intervention approach that prioritizes balance, nuance, and a clear sense of place.
Cancilla Vineyard is located within the Tualatin Hills AVA, a subregion known for its cooler temperatures, marine influence, and sedimentary soils. These conditions encourage slow, even ripening and preserve natural acidity, resulting in Pinot Noir with lifted aromatics, fine structure, and subtle earthy complexity.
Erin Nuccio had a successful career as a wine retailer and distributor in Washington, DC and Massachusetts. While he loved wines from appellations all over the world, those from Oregon’s Willamette Valley really spoke to him. His desire to get on the winemaking side of the business led him first to Northern California, where he took enology courses and cut his teeth at various vineyards. Still, the Willamette Valley beckoned, and he headed north. There, he met Russ Raney of Evesham Wood, and an apprenticeship with him led to the birth of Haden Fig.
The 2022 Haden Fig Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard is a refined, site-expressive Oregon Pinot that emphasizes elegance, restraint, and transparency. Sourced from a single vineyard in the Tualatin Hills, this wine reflects a thoughtful, low-intervention approach that prioritizes balance, nuance, and a clear sense of place.
Cancilla Vineyard is located within the Tualatin Hills AVA, a subregion known for its cooler temperatures, marine influence, and sedimentary soils. These conditions encourage slow, even ripening and preserve natural acidity, resulting in Pinot Noir with lifted aromatics, fine structure, and subtle earthy complexity.
Tasting notes:
The 2022 Haden Fig Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard offers aromas of red cherries, raspberries, and wild strawberries layered with rose petals, dried herbs, and forest floor. Subtle notes of baking spice and wet stone add depth without overshadowing the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and finely textured, with flavors of cranberries, Bing cherries, and pomegranates supported by vibrant acidity and silky, fine-grained tannins. The wine is supple and poised, with savory undertones and a mineral core that reflect its cool-climate origins. The finish is long, graceful, and refreshing, with lingering red fruits, gentle spice, and a faint earthy note that adds complexity and persistence.
Press:
94 points, Decanter:
"A lovely fresh Pinot Noir from the cool, late-ripening Tualatin Hills just outside of Forest Grove, Oregon. With a wonderfully minty lift that carries from the aromas to the palate, the Cancilla Vineyard Pinot Noir is all about fresh savoriness. Bright taut aromas of cranberries, a squeeze of blood orange, and a mint streak that's framed by a seaspray mineral tone. Tomato leaf, tart blood orange, and early-season raspberry leap across the palate with pulsing electricity. It's all lifted up with smoky notes of sea salt and a wine that punches so far above its price point."
93 points, Vinous:
"The 2022 Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard is understated in the glass, taking its time to reveal dusty violet and rose tones, dried black cherries, and hints of clove. Round and pliant with a gentle spiciness, it displays ripe red and blue fruits that saturate toward the close. Tension builds as fine-grained tannins join the fray and a bump of brisk acidity tugs at the cheeks."
The 2022 Haden Fig Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard offers aromas of red cherries, raspberries, and wild strawberries layered with rose petals, dried herbs, and forest floor. Subtle notes of baking spice and wet stone add depth without overshadowing the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and finely textured, with flavors of cranberries, Bing cherries, and pomegranates supported by vibrant acidity and silky, fine-grained tannins. The wine is supple and poised, with savory undertones and a mineral core that reflect its cool-climate origins. The finish is long, graceful, and refreshing, with lingering red fruits, gentle spice, and a faint earthy note that adds complexity and persistence.
Press:
94 points, Decanter:
"A lovely fresh Pinot Noir from the cool, late-ripening Tualatin Hills just outside of Forest Grove, Oregon. With a wonderfully minty lift that carries from the aromas to the palate, the Cancilla Vineyard Pinot Noir is all about fresh savoriness. Bright taut aromas of cranberries, a squeeze of blood orange, and a mint streak that's framed by a seaspray mineral tone. Tomato leaf, tart blood orange, and early-season raspberry leap across the palate with pulsing electricity. It's all lifted up with smoky notes of sea salt and a wine that punches so far above its price point."
93 points, Vinous:
"The 2022 Pinot Noir Cancilla Vineyard is understated in the glass, taking its time to reveal dusty violet and rose tones, dried black cherries, and hints of clove. Round and pliant with a gentle spiciness, it displays ripe red and blue fruits that saturate toward the close. Tension builds as fine-grained tannins join the fray and a bump of brisk acidity tugs at the cheeks."
Alcohol by Volume (ABV %): 13.5%
Farming Practices: Sustainable vineyard practices
Producer Name: Haden Fig Wines
Old World / New World: New World
Country of Origin: United States
Region: Tualatin Hills AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Grape Varietals: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2022
Wine Style: Dry, light- to medium-bodied red wine
Winemaking Techniques: Native yeast fermentation, gentle extraction, aging in neutral French oak to preserve site expression
Pack Size: 750 mL
Container Style: Glass bottle
Closure Style: Natural cork
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