Two amazing vintages in a row; 2010 & 2011. Which is better? This will be a discussion for many years to come among Oregon Pinot aficionados
These two vintages have been what Oregon Pinot producers have been looking for. Over the last decade or so the climate had warmed to the point where we all were wondering if they’d soon be growing Cabernet in Alaska. What both vintages bring back are the vintages from the old days. Back to the 70’s when Oregon Pinot was first making its mark on the world. Back then the grapes had to struggle to ripen each year and when they made it, ah, these were Pinots that reminded us of why we love this fickle grape so much. But, as mentioned, in recent times it went from “will they ripen” to “when do we pick to avoid over ripening?” Luckily the last two vintages have given wine growers exactly what they were hoping for. Ripe grapes in the 12.5- 13% alcohol range with very long hang time which enhances flavor development, complexity and balance. Believe it or not in recent vintages some of our wines have come in close to 15%!!! That’s just way out of whack for Pinot. Right now all of the wine makers that I talk to are thrilled with what they have resting in barrel. It will truly be fun to taste the way these develop over their very long life span. These are the kind of wines that really age well and gain in complexity much more so than warmer vintages.
Now, the bad news. Very little wine! 2010 had the birds eating most of the crop and in 2011 many growers had to drop a significant amount of crop on the ground to help the remaining ripen. And boy was it worth it! But there’s not much wine.
I recently had the opportunity to taste these infant 2011’s from Ken Wright and I’m very impressed. They are very “Pinot” in every sense of the word. Very pretty with loads of flavor they will thrill you now and repay those that cellar them for years to come. In a word…classic Oregon Pinot Noir.
Everyone seems to find it helpful when I list the eight “single vineyard” offerings by style. So here we go;
Here’s how I would break down the styles of the eight vineyards we offer;
Classic Oregon- Somewhere between Burgundy & California.
Nysa
Shea
Burgundian- Aromas and flavors come more from the soil than the grape.
Canary Hill
Carter
Big and Rich- Lots of fruit aromas and flavors like dark cherry, blackberry and chocolate. Full bodied. More for beef and fowl, not so much for fish.
McCrone
Guadalupe
Savoya
Abbott Claim
Following is the info you’ll need to order the 2011 Ken Wright futures. Just e-mail back or call.
At the end of this offering I will list the Vineyards mentioned above and the districts that they come from with all of the specs you could possibly want.
PRICES
Case-$500/ 12-750’s OR 24-375’s
½ case- $270/ 6-750’s OR 12-375’s
Minimum order, 6 bottles
Minimum per vineyard- 3 bottles from a particular vineyard
To be clear on the way you can order….
The possibilities on a case of 750’s would be;
3+3+3+3 four different vineyards
4+4+4 three different vineyards
6+6 2 different vineyards
12 bottles of the same vineyard
For 375’s (half bottles) it would be a minimum of 6 half bottles per vineyard
On magnums and larger you may order singles
Magnums- $90
This year we’ll be offering 375’s, 750’s and 1.5’s (mags); If you’re interested in larger formats let me know. We can go as large as a 9 Lt bottle (a case of wine in 1 bottle!- Can you say P-A-R-T-Y?
The 8 vineyards- Nysa Shea Carter Canary Hill Abbott Claim
Savoya Guadalupe McCrone
Payment & delivery
Payment due upon placement of order.
Delivery/ early December, 2012.
We like to offer you all the opportunity to buy a variety of the single vineyards that Ken makes. Each vineyard has its own style. You can buy the “big ones” for that beef dish and the more Burgundian ones for that special Salmon dinner. I’m a firm believer in that old saying “variety is the spice of life.”
Warmest regards,
Sandy
Don’t forget to check out the vineyard info below!
Vineyards of the Dundee Hills:
Vineyards planted in the Dundee Hills of the northern Willamette Valley provided the start for the modern wine industry of Oregon. These initial plantings took place in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The most common soil type of the area is described as Jory. These soils are volcanic in origin with basalt as the mother rock. They are unusually deep for hillsides, often 6 to 8 feet to bedrock. There is also a high percentage of clay in the soil which, combined with the soil depth, tends to hold moisture later into the season than other soils we work with. The wine from this region typically displays aromas of red fruits, strawberry, cherry and raspberry. The mouth feel is often rich and emollient.
Nysa Vineyard
The vineyard was planted in 1990 to own-rooted Pommard and Wadenswil. Located in the heart of the Dundee Hills between Domaine Drouhin and Archery Summit with a southeast to northeast inclination. Jory soil. The nose exhibits a mix of red and black fruits. The wines are forward, textural and elegant. Approximately 350 cases are produced. The vineyard is owned and managed by Michael Mega.
Vineyards of the Eola Hills:
The main development of the Eola Hills area took place from the mid 1970’s through the early 1980’s. The most common soil type of the area is described as Nekia. These volcanic soils are shallower, generally 1 to 3 feet in depth, and have less clay than the Dundee Hills. As a result, these soils will dry sooner, encouraging earlier ripening of the fruit. The wines of this area typically possess aromas of black fruits, black cherry, plum and cassis, with acidity levels that are naturally higher than in other growing areas, contributing to a sense of structure in the mouth.
Canary Hill Vineyard
Located at the southern end of the Eola Hills and faces southeast. The vines were planted in 1982 and 1983. They are vertically trellised and are of the Pommard clone. Elevation is 450′ to 550′. The soil is a mix of Jory and Nekia. Both are formed from igneous rock and have a reddish-brown tint. This site, however, has less depth than similar soils in the Dundee Hills. Wine from this vineyard is typically very forward, with aromas of black cherry and cola. Approximately 625 cases are produced. The vineyard was recently purchased by Ken and Karen Wright, and managed by Mark Gould.
Carter Vineyard
Located just 1 mile from Canary Hill in the Eola Hills, Carter Vineyard is lower on the hillside yet has a leaner and less fertile soil. It is mainly Nekia soil, which is formed from weathered basic rock. It lies at an elevation of 325′ and was planted in 1983. This bottling is comprised of the Wadenswil, Dijon 777, Dijon 667, Dijon 115, and Pommard clones. The wine is firmer than Canary Hill in its youth but evolves beautifully after a few years in bottle to show black fruits and fresh, healthy earth scents. Approximately 650 cases are produced. The vineyard is owned by Jack and Kathleen Carter, and managed by Mark Gould.
Vineyards of the Yamhill-Carlton District:
The vineyards of the Yamhill-Carlton District were planted mostly in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The primary soil of this area is called Willakenzie, named after the Willamette and McKenzie rivers. It is a sedimentary soil with a sandstone base rock. The sand content is quite high and the soil therefore very well drained. The sites are generally on the lower slopes of a volcanic ridge. Wines of the area possess aromas of red and black fruits, with added elements of cocoa, leather and fresh-turned earth. Acidity levels are generally lower than other regions, prompting these wines to be lush and agreeable in their youth.
Abbott Claim Vineyard
Our newest arrival to the stable. This site is a portion of the original John F. Abbott Donation Land Claim and lies in the middle of a sedimentary ridge east of Carlton. This is a consistent broad face of land with soil depths of 30 inches to mother rock. Elevation ranges from 400′ to 475′ and the inclination is S-SE. Soils are mostly Wellsdale with some areas of Willakenzie and Peavine. All of them lie atop mother rock of fractured sandstone and siltstone.
The planted acreage totals 17 acres. Vines are roughly an equal mix of Pommard clone on Riparia Gloire rootstock, 777 on 101-14 and 115 on both 101-14 and 3309. As would be expected from a vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton District the wine is very darkly colored, dense and lush. Fruits tend to be darker such as plum, cassis and black cherry.
Guadalupe Vineyard
The vineyard was planted in 1989 and represents the definable change of the Jory soils of the Dundee Hills to the sedimentary soil of the Yamhill-Carlton District. It is spaced 7’ by 5’ and is planted to the Wadenswil clone. The soil, known as Willakenzie, is a well-drained shallow soil over siltstone. It lies at an elevation of 350′. The vineyard consistently produces small berries and clusters that are intensely colored. The wine possesses the character of black fruits, cocoa, leather and earth. Approximately 400 cases are produced. Jim Stonebridge and Kathleen Boeve own the vineyard. It is managed by Joel Myers.
McCrone Vineyard
Located in the Yamhill-Carlton District, this is a densely planted vineyard (1 meter x 2 meters). The sedimentary soil, know as Wellsdale, is extremely well drained and promotes early ripening. Elevation is 400′ with a south-southwest inclination. Slopes are 5 to 15 degrees. Half of the vineyard was planted in 1992 to the Dijon 115 clone grafted on 3309. The second half was originally planted to Dijon Chardonnay clones but was grafted in 2000 to the Dijon 777 clone of Pinot noir. The wine from this site is powerful, dense and deeply colored focusing mainly on black fruits. Approximately 700 cases are produced. Don and Carole McCrone are the vineyard owners. Mark Gould is the vineyard manager.
Savoya Vineyard
This is the first vineyard directly owned and developed by Ken Wright Cellars. The vineyard is located in the Yamhill-Carlton District northeast of Carlton. First planted with 4.5 acres of clones 777 and 115 on phylloxera resistant rootstock.. Total planted acreage as of spring 2002 is approximately 17 acres. Vine spacing is 6.5’ x 4’ and the elevations averages 450’. The soil is comprised of marine sediments known as Wellsdale and Willakenzie. These are sandy soils which drain quickly and hasten the ripening process. Our first commercial crop, 2002, has produced a muscular wine that has aromas of dense black fruit, seared meat, cedar and anise. Approximately 240 cases are produced. Ken and Karen Wright are owners. The vineyard is managed by Mark Gould.
Shea Vineyard
This site is in the Yamhill-Carlton District just west of the Chehalem Valley. Our fruit is sourced from three small blocks, one of which is planted to the Pommard clone, one to the Dijon 114 clone and the last to Dijon 777 clone. Soils are primarily of the Goodin and Melbourne type which are sedimentary in origin. The three blocks range in elevation from 450 to 600 feet and were planted in 1989. The wine from this vineyard has a complex array of aromas and flavors including black and red fruits, particularly blueberry, spice and earth. Approximately 725 cases are produced. The vineyard is owned by Dick and Deirdre Shea and managed by Javier Marin.
Sandy Thompson, Proprietor
Mt. Tabor Fine Wines
4316 SE Hawthorne Bl
Portland, Or. 97215
(503)235-4444
