Let’s taste Knudsen Vineyards Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley in Oregon!
Knudsen Vineyards
Knudsen Vineyards is a big deal in the Dundee Hills AVA. The vineyard covers 228 acres, with about 130 acres planted with Pinot noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot meunier grapes. The soil, called Jory soil, is a big part of what makes their grapes unique. It’s this red clay-loam soil that’s only found in the northern Willamette Valley. On top of that, they’ve planted different types of vines and use some unique farming practices to keep things top-notch. Plus, they’re all about sustainability and have certifications to show for it.
The winemaking legacy at Knudsen Vineyards is pretty cool. They took a 25-year break from making wine, but in 2014, they dropped the 2012 Knudsen Vineyards Pinot noir, followed by the 2013 Knudsen Vineyards Chardonnay in 2015. Even during the pandemic, they opened The Outlook at Knudsen Vineyard, a tasting room totally dedicated to their wines.
2021 Growing Season
The 2021 growing season at Knudsen Vineyards was quite a ride. It started with some cool weather and light rain in early June, which led to lower yields. Then, things heated up in late June with a crazy heatwave, but from then on, the weather was warm and dry until September, making for a nearly perfect harvesting season. At Knudsen Vineyards, they kicked off grape harvesting for sparkling wine at the end of August and wrapped up by late September. The cool weather in September worked its magic, letting them pick their Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes at just the right ripeness. The result? Wines with killer acidity, great color, intense aromas, and fantastic flavors.
2021 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Tasting Notes
One of their 2021 standouts is the 2021 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills AVA from Knudsen Vineyard. Imagine a wine with a medium ruby color and aromas of cedar, earthy notes, mushroom, black cherry, plum, and raspberry. When you taste it, you get flavors of black cherry, plum, overripe strawberry, cedar, and blackberry, leading to a prune-plum finish. It’s a real testament to the love and hard work that goes into every bottle from Knudsen Vineyards.