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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.7 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 49 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Russ P on 11/20/2020: DRINK UP, 1ST EVENING (889 views) | | | Tasted by azcowino on 11/15/2020 & rated 87 points: Definitely aging. Lost most of its fruit. (847 views) | | | Tasted by mhudes on 11/22/2018 & rated 92 points: Brought to cousin Mathew's for Thanksgiving. PnP. Ruby in color with a nice floral bouquet. On the palate, the expected cherry along with marionberry and perhaps cassis, but there are also some savory Rhone-like characteristics lurking about. This went very well with the turkey and stuffing. I was in the minority, but by a slight amount, this was my favorite wine of the evening. (1291 views) | | | Tasted by hosscrow on 8/13/2018 & rated 93 points: Yamill Carlton and Ribbon Ridge are the most Burgundian in style of the Willamette AVAs and the Pierre Leon seems most to me like the "masculine" wines of Pommard. Medium dark red color to the rim, brilliant and translucent. A powerful floral and tart cherry smell with earthiness and still very light on its feet. Tart with a strong and ripe tannic backbone, I especially enjoy a Pinot that looks ethereal and surprises with its bold flavors. Extended well balanced finish, this wine benefited from a two hour decant. Pierre Leon is a clonal blend from several estate sites and not as complex as the single vineyard offerings from this producer. (1403 views) | | | Tasted by phils_hobby on 6/12/2018 & rated 91 points: Heavier WillaKenzie Pinot. Very nice. Time to drink this vintage. (1512 views) | | | Tasted by flah00 on 4/24/2018 & rated 86 points: Red fruits and a bit of licorice and violet, decent tannins... But the finish was a bit sweet and cloying. (1161 views) | | | Tasted by bklynfoodie on 4/1/2018 & rated 90 points: WK is such a consistent wine producer that I never worry that a bottle will be less than stellar, and the Pierre Leon pairs well with everything. Drank this with lamb chops and couldn't have been more pleased. (1182 views) | | | Tasted by Tequilahal on 12/18/2017 & rated 92 points: Earthy with strong berry, mint and rose, this is another fine wine from a great producer. (1160 views) | | | Tasted by bajayngo on 5/10/2017: Having just purchased 4 btls of WillaKenzie pinot this was a nice peek into their wines. Generous fruit with accents of spice, fresh loam, sappiness, and a style that doesn't shy away from fruit but as plenty of terrior which I enjoy. (1426 views) | | | Tasted by Motz on 5/8/2017 & rated 92 points: Purple fruits and floral accents with focused black farming soil, sous-bois, and mineral notes. Expansive and palate coating, generous texture, lingering finish. Somewhat polished, a touch more lift, or edginess, would have enhanced the experienced. (1638 views) | | | Tasted by Tequilahal on 10/30/2016 & rated 90 points: This pinot excels in flavor and complexity. There is that earthy quality to the complexity. I thought the berry flavor was not as pronounced as I have come to expect from WillaKenzie but still solid performer. Breathes well and overnight a noticeable improvement in finish. (1555 views) | | | Tasted by phils_hobby on 7/3/2016 & rated 92 points: Crisp, light color. Smooth flavors of medium to light red fruits. Extremely well matched to rich king salmon. (1679 views) | | | Tasted by flussier on 2/19/2016 & rated 92 points: Vin aux arômes d’épices, fruits murs, boisé.. Assez costaud pour un pinot noir, a décanté 2h. Belle complexité et belle structure. Pourrait se bonifier encore avec 2-3 ans dans le cellier. (1959 views) | | | Tasted by flah00 on 2/2/2016 & rated 88 points: Needed about 2 hours of decanting. Fruity inviting nose, medium mouth, light tannins, flat finish. (1608 views) | | | Tasted by ZagWine on 6/27/2015 & rated 90 points: Enjoyed with a paella and was delicious! Took about an hour for it to open up. Has a sweet start and a pepper finish. (1890 views) | | | Tasted by bugdoced on 3/24/2015 & rated 90 points: solid burgundian pinot (1778 views) | | | Tasted by Gruffalius on 3/7/2015 & rated 89 points: Light to medium. Bright, forward fruit. (1615 views) | | | Tasted by bbcc66 on 10/12/2014 & rated 85 points: Decanted for 2 hrs. Medium to light body. Smooth on the palate with tastes of raspberry & strawberry with a tart finish. The tart finish varied from glass to glass, so the tastes were inconsistent. Decent for the price, but my wife & I seem to prefer the more full bodied Pinots from the California Central Coast. (1818 views) | | | Tasted by dsgris on 9/28/2014 & rated 92 points: Medium dark ruby, red fruit nose. Dry, tart red stone fruit, acid up front with some bitter tannins, PnP 88. Second night, red berry with a strong acid focus. Medium body and fruit, raspberry and pomegranate with smooth tannins on the finish. This is a change that I appreciate from the previous more fruity versions of the past. Third night, this is by far the best WK for my AFWE palate other than an earlier 113 clonal I have tasted. (2010 views) | | | Tasted by jdinkin1 on 7/25/2014 & rated 88 points: Nice but not that interesting (1713 views) | | | Tasted by Dannyfu on 5/8/2014 & rated 88 points: pepper and spice on the nose with cherry and raspberry on the palate. (1920 views) | | | Tasted by tasty travels on 1/19/2014 & rated 91 points: Blind Pinot Noir Tasting - OR/CA vs France
Score 17/20 in blind tasting. My favorite of the night. Rank #1 of 7.
Dark garnet color. Nice complex aroma with hints of berry and subtle floral. Medium body with balanced acids/tannins. Taste of berries (red), some floral notes and earthiness to round it out. Nice finish with lingering flavors. Drinking ok now but would benefit from some time in bottle. (2114 views) | | | Tasted by mreinitz on 11/22/2013 & rated 89 points: Feminine and soft, with red cherry and red berry flavors dominating along with a very nice flavor like an Oregon forest floor with mushrooms and fir needles. It's all pretty mellow but enjoyable. (1831 views) | | | Tasted by SeattlePaul on 8/8/2013 & rated 89 points: Tasted at winery. The last of the flight and definitely the best. Warm fruit notes and some mocha/caramel macchiato spice hints on the nose. Nice middle with balance fruit moves into a lingering delicious finish. This is the only one really ready to drink of what we tasted, but it will improve for a couple years more. (1828 views) | | | Tasted by SeattlePaul on 8/8/2013 & rated 89 points: Tasted at estate. Warm nose, nice spice, like a macchiato, good fruity middle. Smooth finish, lingers slow and tasty. (1829 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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