One of the longest serving estates in Oregon, Willamette Valley Vineyards was founded in 1983 by Oregon wine pioneer, Jim Bernau. Jim cleared away an old pioneer plum orchard in the Salem Hills to start his first vineyard. Over time Willamette Valley Vineyards has considerably increased their estate vineyards through partnerships like the merger with Oregon wine industry pioneer, Bill Fuller of Tualatin Vineyards (established in 1973), the O'Briens for Elton Vineyard (established in 1983) and Loeza Vineyard (planted in 2015). Willamette Valley Vineyards sources all of its Pinot Noir from their nearly 500 acres of estate vineyards.
Head winemaker Joe Ibrahim is originally from New York and started his wine journey in Vermont. He has held several high end wine positions prior to coming to Willamette Valley Vineyards, including working for Ste. Michelle Wine Estate in Washington State, as well as Gallo Family in California where he learned about brandy distillation as a Spirits Maker and sparkling wine production as the Senior Winemaker in charge of the sparkling wine program. He served as winemaker for Edna Valley prior to coming to Willamette Valley Vineyards and has crafted some really good new releases. One of the great value sparkling wines on the market, the 2015 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Brut’ Sparkling Wine (WWB, 91) has loads of tension and astringency, with lovely citrus tones. I really enjoyed the 2016 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which has really good freshness and black fruits in the glass. This wine is a killer value at $32.00. Learn more about this great Oregon winery at
2015 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Brut’ Sparkling Wine- Bunches of citrus hits you in waves here, with lemon zest and kumquat shining under shades of brioche. The astringency is lovely, as is the silky mousse. Enjoy this excellent Sparkling Wine over the next five to ten years. Drink 2018-2024- 91
2016 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- Brightly colored, this starts off with aromas of brioche, creme brûlée and lemon cream. The palate is both rich and lithe, showing off honeysuckle, creme brûlée and lemon zest flavors. With good weight and tension, this gorgeous wine will cellar marvelously over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2016 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Vintage 43’ Chardonnay- The ‘Vintage 43’ Chardonnay was aged for ten months in oak (30% new) prior to bottling. The wine begins with bright aromas of brioche, vanilla cream and ripe pear. On the palate there is some good minerality with bright citrus and hazelnut flavors that connect with the creamy finish. Drink 2018-2026- 91
2015 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir begins with a bright bouquet of rose petals, forest floor and red currant. The silky mouthfeel impresses, as the wine unveils red fruit flavors with earthy tones. Enjoy this outstanding release over the next ten years. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2016 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- Dark fruits mark the nose with light peat moss and blood orange tones. The palate has a soft mouthfeel, showing good freshness and a nice salinity.Black tea, blackberry pie, crushed mint and tobacco leaf flavors all combine beautifully in the glass. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2015 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Tualatin Estate’ Pinot Noir- This translucent Pinot Noir begins with aromatics of red cherry, pomegranate seed and blood orange rind. Round and generous, this wine shows off red cherry, red currant and orange rind flavors that connect with the lively minerality. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2015 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Bernau Block’ Pinot Noir- Wonderfully earthy on the nose, the wine shows off forest floor, black tea and blackberry pie aromas. Similar to the other wines in the WVV lineup, the mouthfeel is really wonderful. Black and red fruits mingle with lovely minerals. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2016 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Vintage 43’ Pinot Noir- This earthy Pinot Noir shows red fruits with peat moss and forest floor tones. The palate has a good mouthfeel and viscosity with pomegranate seed, red cherry candy and guava connecting with the damp earth. This is downright delicious right now. Drink 2018-2026- 91
2017 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Whole Cluster’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Whole Cluster’ Pinot Noir is sourced from Dijon clones 114, 115, 667, 777, Pommard and Wadenswil. The nose shows red fruits like wild strawberry and red cherry connecting with light damp earthy undertones. The palate shows good freshness, with light strawberry, red cherry candy and pomegranate seed flavors. The acidity is racy and bright. Drink 2018-2026- 91