Sept. 2020

Just checking in with everyone to let you know that our families and our teams are safe both regarding COVID-19 and the fires in Oregon. We are extremely grateful to have been spared from fires and smoke damage. Our hearts go out to so many in the west coast wine communities that are still battling.

Our team is not unfamiliar with battling fires and emergencies across Oregon. Ken has been serving as the board treasurer for the new Carlton Fire District for 15 years. Mark Gould, our lead vineyard manager, has been serving as a Carlton volunteer fire fighter for years. In fact, Aaron, our Winery Ambassador Ivory’s husband, is still in Southern Oregon near the California border battling the Slater fire. Our thoughts are with the firefighters and first responders who continue to serve and protect.

The recent fires have spurred industry concern over smoke taint. With rumors swirling in the Willamette Valley, literally like smoke, it is very important to get the facts out. Smoke taint occurs in grapes when a vineyard is in near proximity to a fire or directly downwind from an active fire. The volatiles that create issues are ephemeral, over a fairly short period of time they break down. Which is why we are not concerned about “old smoke”.

It is a common occurrence in Oregon in the fall for there to be an east wind.  Which is the opposite of the onshore flow that we normally experience throughout the year. When there are fires in the dry high desert of eastern Oregon, those east winds can bring smoke to the Willamette Valley. We have experienced this numerous times before. In a number of years, we have had smoke cover in the Valley for as long as 10 days. In none of these occasions have we had a wine that had an issue with smoke taint. We credit the lack of affectation to the fact that this is “old smoke” from quite a distance away.

As of today, we have tasted all of the fruit from every site that we farm or source from in the valley, 13 in total. We have yet to see affectation to this point of any kind. It is true that we have had a couple of regional fires, one near Hagg Lake in Washington County and one on the north side of the Chehalem Mountains. These fires were contained very quickly. A vineyard neighboring these fires would have a realistic cause for concern. Vineyards that are miles away should not be concerned.

Over the last week, emotions seem to be driving decisions more than science regarding smoke taint with some of our industry members. They are reacting in fear instead of with critical judgement. Perhaps with the combination of the pandemic and the smoke, it is causing knee-jerk reactions. Scientific testing of smoke taint in a laboratory looks for free guaiacols (smoke markers). There are no laboratory tests that have been done that show we have an issue regionally.

Critics agree that 2017 produced a lush and remarkable vintage from the Willamette Valley. In that year, we experienced 10 straight days of smoke from the eastern and northern fires, much longer than we have experienced this year.

Do not be faint of heart, we are going to make great wine this year.

Photos of Ken Wright & Seth Miller Sampling at Hirschy Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA

October 2020 Issue | Wine Enthusiast | Page 16
Click here to shop our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

BY PAUL GREGUTT

We are thrilled to share some new reviews from Vinous, founded by wine critic, Antonio Galloni, in 2013. Antonio has crafted a site that brings together professional wine reviewers, thematic stories, videos, photos and reader opinion in a dynamic, interactive setting. Vinous’ ultimate goal is to create a wine lovers community. We hope you enjoy Vinous editor, Josh Raynolds, tasting notes and scores on several of our single vineyard Pinot noirs from the 2017 vintage!

What was the 2017 vintage like in the Willamette Valley? Click here to read Ken’s vintage notes or click here to read his 2017 harvest letter.

From Josh’s recent article— Oregon Pinot Noir: The Winning Streak Continues, Josh describes the 2017 vintage as follows:

“2017 – Classic Style, Solid Frame

Two thousand-seventeen has shaped up to be a truly remarkable vintage for the sheer number of bright, more classically styled Pinot Noirs it produced. And that’s in spite of an August that was the hottest ever recorded here. The outstanding wines – and there are a staggering number of them –showcase lively but well-concentrated red fruit, floral and spice character, along with freshness and well-integrated tannins that make them, in most cases, highly enjoyable to drink already. The wines’ balance will allow them to age gracefully for some time. I suspect that many of my drinking windows could look overly conservative down the road. Even better news is that harvest was abundant and there’s plenty of wine to go around.

A rainy spring was followed by a normal budbreak. Moderate conditions prevailed through the end of June, helping to produce a large fruit set. The ongoing clement weather kept the fruit ripening at a favorable, even slightly slow pace, much to the delight of growers and winemakers. By the end of July, hopes were high that the grapes, which had seen no heat spikes, were set up to produce wines of distinct freshness, with good acidity and low alcohol levels. Stem and skin lignifications were very good and a number of producers were able to work with more whole clusters in their fermentations than usual. Then the weather turned hot – really hot – and stayed that way until the end of August, pushing sugar levels higher, although acidity levels stayed healthy. There was zero mildew pressure on the vines, which is always a concern when conditions are hot and damp. Cooler conditions extended through September, setting the stage for most producers to begin harvest at the very end of the month, bringing in plenty of ripe but fresh, clean and perfectly healthy fruit.” Click here to read the full article

2017 Ken Wright Cellars Reviews

2017 Abbott Claim Pinot Noir

Vinous Score: 93 points 

Tasting Notes: Limpid ruby-red. Highly perfumed aromas of red fruit liqueur, cherry cola, candied flowers and exotic spices, along with a smoky mineral overtone. Nicely concentrated yet energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet, spice-accented raspberry, cherry liqueur and rose pastille flavors that deepen slowly with air. Conveys a suave blend of power and vivacity and finishes with well-knit tannins and superb, floral-driven persistence. 23% new oak.— Josh Raynolds

Join Ken in McCrone Vineyard as he discusses bud break 2020, the official launch to this year’s growing season.