About a year or two ago Ken Wright expanded his line with a pair of affordable Willamette Valley offerings, Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Look for them as glass pours at your favorite restaurant.
Another recently-added tier includes two AVA-based wines. This, Wright explains, “is our effort to show the importance of geology (parent material, mother rock…call it what you will) and the massive influence it has on the profile of Pinot noir. While soil is important to health, and is the great decayer of all physical matter which eventually provides nutrition, it is the original geology below soil that brings real complexity and nuance to wine. It is incumbent of course that sensitive farming supports aerobic microbiological populations that break down the raw ore of the geology and provide the trace elements (manganese, phosphorous, potassium, iron, etc.) in an ionic form to the plant. We provide examples of these differences in profile through the AVA-based wines – our Yamhill-Carlton AVA cuvée (marine sediment based), and our Eola-Amity Hills AVA cuvée (volcanic basalt).”
In my experience there is no one in Oregon with a deeper knowledge of viticultural geology than Ken Wright, who has been the principal force behind the establishment of at least a half dozen Willamette Valley’s sub-AVAs. Ken always releases his newest wines ahead of the pack, so take the following reviews and scores with that in mind. New young wines can jump through a lot of hoops as they settle in.
Ken Wright 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – This is the second vintage for this affordable Pinot from Ken Wright. An energetic young wine, it’s tightly focused with red currant and wild raspberry fruit, leading into light tannins showing savory highlights. There’s a juicy mouthfeel keeping it fresh and lively. 13.2%; $28 (Willamette Valley) 91/100
Ken Wright 2023 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir – Bright and spicy, it boasts juicy flavors of just-ripe marionberries, with hints of nettles and savory herbs. Firm through the mid-palate, it sails into a lingering, mildly astringent finish with hints of orange peel. 4359 cases; 13%; $38 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100
Ken Wright 2023 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir – Fragrant and fruity, this hits the palate as a big bowl of ripe cherries, clean and vividly refreshing. Under the bright fruit is a seam of clean earth, a marker for Eola-Amity Hills Pinots. Medium long and flavorful all the way, it’s a fine representation of this AVA. 4473 cases; 13%; $38 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100
Ken Wright 2023 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir – For the second vintage in a row this KW version of Shea is light and tangy – accenting the aromatics and acids, putting a citrus and savory twist on the fruit from this stellar vineyard. Nice touches of breakfast tea and baking spices adorn a light and layered finish. 2660 6-pak cases; 12.6%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100
Ken Wright 2023 Bryce Vineyard Pinot Noir – The appealing seashell minerality of Ribbon Ridge AVA wines underscores tight, tart, brambly red and blue fruits. This is spot on for lovers of elegant, soil-driven wines from this small AVA. The astringent tannins suggest pairing this with a fresh and fatty salmon steak. 352 6-pak cases; 13.1%; $65 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100
Ken Wright 2023 Bonnie Jean Vineyard Pinot Noir – The marionberry fruit is elegantly layered with Asian spices, flower pollen and cocoa powder. The flavors tickle rather than soak the palate. The distinctive, site-specific flavors unfold in a chorus of pollen, fresh herbs, wild, brambly berries and hints of new barrel toast. The floral accents continue on through the long finish. A unique and intriguing wine. 664 6-pak cases; 12.5%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100
Ken Wright 2023 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – There are many wineries doing Freedom Hill selections, but this new offering is as good as I’ve ever seen. It bursts open into a delightful, perfectly balanced mix of blackberries, cherries, salted chocolate, lightly savory tannins and sappy acids. This very young wine is already spectacular, and with more bottle age should turn into a masterpiece. Best of all the KW 2023 Pinots by far. 1852 6-pak cases; 13.4%; $65 (Willamette Valley) 96/100