Did you know Ken Wright was one of the winemaking pioneers of the Willamette Valley of Oregon? He’s the only one still standing and making wine. All the other guys and gals who put Oregon on the World Wine map are retired, but Ken is the last man standing, delighting our palates as ever. His focus now is highlighting single AVAs and single vineyard Pinot Noirs.
We visit Ken Wright’s tasting room ever so often. This time we tasted five Pinots from different vineyards.
Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir Tasting Flight 2023
First, we compared 2021 Pinot Noirs from Eola-Amity Hills and Yamhill-Carlton AVAs (appellations) of Willamette Valley. Of these two Yamhill-Carlton had the upper hand because it felt more substantial and charmed us with its black cherry, sweet tea, cherry cola, and sweet rose profile.
The following competitors were 2021 Guadalupe and Shea Vineyards Pinot Noirs. Between these two, we had a split decision.
We loved Guadalupe’s nose filled with crashed ripe cherries, cherry tar, and, similar to the previous wine, cherry cola, and southern tea notes. After all, it also came from a vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton area.
On the other hand, Shea’s black cherry and red plum flavors felt more substantial thanks to a more sensual tannin and chewy texture.
The star wine of the flight was the 2021 Bryce Vineyard Pinot Noir from Ribbon Ridge AVA of Willamette Valley. Both the palate and nose felt more complex. The aromas of black cherry and clove, herbs, and fermented sour cherry with a touch of smoke transitioned seamlessly to cherry-raspberry and plum on the palate. The finish filled with cacao-powdered cherry would impress even those who prefer more full-bodied wines than Pinot Noir.
While 2021 Bryce Vineyard is our top pick this time, $65 wine is hardly weekday wine. So when considering quality and price, the 2021 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot is an easy winner at $38.
What are your impressions of Ken Write or other Oregon Pinot Noirs? Maybe you’ve even visited Willamette Valley for wine tasting? Any favorites?
If you’d like to learn more about the winery and other Ken Write’s Pinots, check out our story covering
We were not compensated to write this and other reviews on our website. So you can count on professional non-sponsored opinions on our website. Please remember to sign up while there because only limited content makes it to Instagram.