Though Pinot Noir is beloved worldwide, there are relatively few places it grows well. Burgundy, France is one of them. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is another. And some of the best from the latter are undoubtedly the bottlings of Moe Momtazi and his family, who were pioneers of the area.

Their story begins in Iran, in the late 1970s. Revolution had broken out, and daily life for Moe, then a civil engineer, and his wife Flora was becoming increasingly difficult. Both were born and raised there, but they could see it wouldn’t be fit for them to start their own family.

So, when Flora became pregnant in 1982, they decided to flee—via motorcycle, through the mountains of Pakistan, chased by Revolutionary Guards.

Eventually, they landed in Texas and Moe established a successful engineering company. But when they moved to Oregon a few years later, he felt a pull to pursue his true calling—sustainable farming. They purchased 496 acres on which to plant vineyards, raise a farm and build a winery.

“This has always been my passion ever since childhood, to grow things holistically,” says Moe, who, at a young age, would watch his grandfather care for tea leaves and remembers his father making wine in their basement.

Today, he, Flora and their three daughters farm biodynamically, and intervene as little as possible when making their wine. “We don't adjust or add, we don’t use enzymes or yeast; it’s all done naturally,” he says. “It takes our wines a little longer to evolve, but when they do, they can age for a long time.”

Their 2017 Pinot Noir is a model of balance, with a beautiful tension of power, freshness and elegance. It’s just now entering its peak drinking window. Look forward to notes of black cherry and pomegranate, hints of white pepper and an earthy undertone that mirrors the finest Burgundy.