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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2015 and 2020 (based on 12 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.6 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 22 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Oregonnative on 9/17/2020 & rated 90 points: Pretty wine that was better on day one. Tannins hit the front and juicy red fruits red make a long finish. Delicate but satisfying too. Fragment. 90/91. 11s are a great change from the recent warmer forward Oregon vintages. (959 views) | | | Tasted by Brian Glas on 9/13/2019 & rated 91 points: Nice fine grained tannins on this wine. Some good red berry fruit in the background. Long finish. I like the balance on this wine. (1188 views) | | | Tasted by bggrant on 12/15/2018 & rated 91 points: Delish as always (1457 views) | | | Tasted by wino121 on 2/13/2017 & rated 91 points: Ruby red, dry with lively acid, cool pepper, dust and cherry.
A great food pairing wine. (2402 views) | | | Tasted by uncletom62 on 10/8/2016 & rated 93 points: Fantastic. (2571 views) | | | Tasted by djarcara on 2/10/2016 & rated 89 points: Very nice wine. Restrained red fruit. Not very perfumed on the nose. A bit austere. Medium acidity. soft tannins. Drinking well now, but MAY have potential to develop secondary flavors with some bottle time. 13.5% abv. (2374 views) | | | Tasted by Lowridenn on 11/20/2015 & rated 91 points: Tart, bright black cherry and forest floor. Feminine and light. (2206 views) | | | Tasted by dsgris on 10/11/2015 & rated 92 points: Medium ruby with red fruit nose. Tart and dry red currants and pomegranates, light to medium body with some slightly bitter tannins on the finish. This is restrained tending toward austere, which I would never have called WK wines in the past. I love to be proven wrong, starting with the '10 vintage where I found them in challenging years to be more to my liking. Good now, but give a few years to get really good if you like acid driven restrained OR PN. On night two getting a metallic stony note along with cola and the totally integrated acid and tannins. (2350 views) | | | Tasted by lovanc@outlook.com on 9/22/2015: Fruity mid weight, good acidity (113 views) | | | Tasted by phils_hobby on 8/1/2015 & rated 91 points: A classic WK PL. the best of the Oregon Pinot's. GREAT. (1601 views) | | | Tasted by Ken G on 4/17/2015 & rated 89 points: Pretty much a standard Pinot. Smooth yet fresh acid, medium tannin, good balance, not overly fruit forward. moderate aroma. OK for $30. (1676 views) | | | Tasted by Tricks on 1/1/2015 & rated 94 points: This was a gift and surprisingly great...it did have a black berry and cherry taste, good body, and elegant finish. We have been drinking Domaine Serene and I thought it as good as any of the 2011 Yamhill, Jerusalem Hill, and Cuvees. Possible 96 or better in five years...a pleasant surprise. (1683 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 11/22/2014 & rated 90 points: Light medium cherry red color; lifted, savory, tart red fruit nose; savory, tart red fruit, rosehips palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 90+ points (556 views) | | | Tasted by Burgundy Al on 4/26/2014: Chicago Pinot Days (Navy Pier - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Comes across as much more complex than the 2012 Gisele. Intense red cherry aromas and flavors with spice start-to-finish. Good balance and length. Better in another year or two. (2644 views) |
| By Elaine Chukan Brown
JancisRobinson.com (5/1/2018)
(WillaKenzie, Pierre Leon Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gregory Walter
PinotReport, Issue #100 (12/15/2014)
(WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Pierre Leon Yamhill-Carlton District) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, July/August 2014, IWC Issue #175
(WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Pierre Leon Yamhill-Carlton) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (11/22/2014)
(WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Pierre Léon) Light medium cherry red color; lifted, savory, tart red fruit nose; savory, tart red fruit, rosehips palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 90+ points 90 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and PinotReport and Vinous and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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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