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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2018 and 2022 (based on 8 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 35 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jpetrillo on 10/24/2022 & rated 89 points: Very good. Tart. Lots of Berries. Oregon PN in French style But at $35 and 8 years of aging, I expected more at this price point (603 views) | | | Tasted by dwm613 on 12/18/2021 flawed bottle: Bottle was corked (786 views) | | | Tasted by Laz4wine on 4/3/2021 & rated 87 points: Clear and bricking toward a red-brown. Cranberry-vanilla on the nose with a hint of leather/woodsmoke. Taste is soft and diluted, rather one-noted with cran-rasp-pomegranate fruits and tart acids. Like Motz leaves me wishing for more. Sitting in decanter so we'll see if it improves over next few hours, perhaps better w/food. (996 views) | | | Tasted by Ralphie1 on 12/12/2020 & rated 92 points: Wonderful bright fruit. Will continue to be great for another year or two. (1025 views) | | | Tasted by Motz on 9/26/2020 & rated 89 points: Consistent with previous note. All the parts are good, though disjointed and unlikely to integrate. Wonky alcy too. Poor QPR. (1810 views) | | | Tasted by alohaboys on 8/28/2020 & rated 90 points: Classic Oregon. (930 views) | | | Tasted by Gail and Len on 7/11/2020 & rated 91 points: Much better the second nigh (745 views) | | | Tasted by Motz on 6/13/2020 & rated 89 points: Dark berry fruit, significant green peppercorn notes (typical of over pressing), and technically excellent structure. Lacking the complexity one might expect that the price point, and while the wine will hold for a few years there is no reason not to drink it now. (1085 views) | | | Tasted by Lunabaer on 4/2/2020 & rated 87 points: Smells like rain and waterfalls - really that's just slate :) Light red fruit smell. Flavor is unfortunate - short, not much there. Somewhat like cherry, but on the side of cough syrup. Alcohol and tannins shine through. (733 views) | | | Tasted by Scottwhipp on 2/9/2020 & rated 89 points: Fair amount of complexity in this wine. Fruit -cranberry, black cherry with some blackberry. Unami- dried mushroom, soy sauce, forrest floor. Spice- dried orange peel and cardamom. (787 views) | | | Tasted by winenotboab on 10/27/2019 & rated 75 points: Initial fizz as described in other notes leaving concerns over any longevity. On the nose, raspberry and violets with some hints of earth and stone. The palette is juicy with light acidity and medium tannins. The initial spike on the tongue will hinder additional purchases. (944 views) | | | Tasted by SFAntti on 7/7/2019 & rated 89 points: Light red color, definitely see-through. Strong red cherry on the nose. Feels big, medium - full body even after being opened for a while. Sharp acidity on the tip of the tongue. Quite a bit of tannins as well. No sign of bubbles as others have reported.
I liked this and went great with pork tenderloin. (1133 views) | | | Tasted by gfish on 3/26/2019 flawed bottle: Secondary fermentation happened in bottle including bubbles on the sides of the wine glass. This should not have happened at this level of wine. I'm concerned for my other bottle. (1565 views) | | | Tasted by chrischap01 on 2/8/2019 & rated 88 points: Good balance, tart acidity on the front, with a long fruity finish. Dark fruit and cherry flavors predominate, with notes of chocolate and orange zest mixed in. (1470 views) | | | Tasted by MJDWMD on 1/25/2019 & rated 88 points: Fruity, ruby red, a bit tingly on tongue. Still enjoyed with steak dinner. Easy to drink (1323 views) | | | Tasted by JenKris on 12/19/2018: Free employee (1470 views) | | | Tasted by djarcara on 12/4/2018 & rated 83 points: Ruby red color. Fizzy. VERY cherry. A bit cough drop like. Was better the second day. The fizz went away and the cherries mellowed. (1188 views) | | | Tasted by dsgris on 3/18/2017 & rated 88 points: Dark ruby, ripe plum nose. Soft and jammy on opening and too fruity for my tastes, little acid nor tannins. Improved after 2 hour open time and definitely getting better with acid starting to show and balance the fruit. Most other '14s are ready to drink, this one needs a bit more time for the fruit to fade. Night two still pretty full body and fruit with the acid and tannins helping with the balance, still primary with not quite ripe evergreen blackberry and balsam. (1885 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| WillaKenzie Estate Producer Website
Passion for Pinot with a Sense of Place is what defines WillaKenzie Estate, a family owned winery located in the heart of the Willamette Valley. We produce Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and small amounts of Pinot Meunier, Gamay Noir and Chardonnay. Our wines are made from grapes sustainably grown on the Estate and their Old World style reflect our French heritage. Come visit and taste Oregon terroir at its best!
Early Years
WillaKenzie Estate Winery is the longtime dream of co-founder Bernard Lacroute. After a successful career in high tech, Bernard decided to return to his Burgundian roots and grow Pinot Noir.
Finding an Ideal Site
The Lacroutes (Bernard and then wife Ronni Lacroute) searched for a suitable grape growing site for several years and finally purchased a cattle ranch in January 1991 just outside Yamhill, Oregon. The rolling hills of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA (American Viticultural Area) are ideal for growing world-class Pinot Noir. They named the property WillaKenzie Estate after the ancient Willakenzie sedimentary soil on which the vineyards are planted.
The First WillaKenzie Vines
As the Lacroutes laid the foundation for what would become a small, family-owned Oregon winery, they knew their goal would always be to make wines reflecting the place on which the vines are grown. In 1992, they planted their first vineyards on south-facing slopes replacing pasture, blackberries, and poison oak. Additional plantings in Yamhill continued through 2001. Today, 105 acres of grape vines (about a quarter of the Willamette Valley estate) are planted around untouched stands of Douglas fir, oak, and maple trees. Two-thirds of the vineyards are Pinot Noir, primarily Dijon clones as well as some of the Pinot Noir varietal clones originally planted in Oregon. Remaining vineyards are planted to Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Gamay Noir, and Chardonnay.
The WillaKenzie Estate Jory Hills Vineyard
In 2000, the Lacroutes purchased 95 acres of land in the Dundee Hills AVA of Oregon, again naming the vineyard after its soil type: Jory (of volcanic origin). To date 25 acres have been planted at the Jory Hills vineyard, using various clones of Pinot Noir vines.
Building the WillaKenzie Winery
Construction of the Lacroutes’ state-of-the-art, multi-level, gravity-flow winery was completed in 1995, just in time to make the wines from their first Oregon harvest. Since then, they have continued to make improvements, building an innovative facility in 2007 to dramatically cool their grapes before processing as well as a large solar array and new tasting room in 2010. Today, production remains at around 20,000 cases, no plans to increase further. Instead, emphasis remains on quality wine, not quantity.
After nearly two decades, WillaKenzie Estate has remained true to its founding principles. We are dedicated to sustainable viticulture and organic vineyard farming practices with the goal of making Willamette Valley wines that reflect the distinctive character of our land and the diversity of our extensive clonal plantings.Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Oregon Oregon Wine, Oregon Wineries (Oregon Wine Board)Willamette Valley Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley (Oregon Wine Board)
On weinlagen-info including some single vineyards
Willamette Valley Vintage Reviews
Yamhill-CarltonThe 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.
The single vineyards on weinlagen-info |
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