One of the great historic Oregon wineries set in the Dundee Hills, Lange Estate was founded by Wendy and Don Lange in 1987. Their son, Jesse has a longstanding history in the wine industry and began helping his parents as a small child. Jesse’s formal winemaking training occurred at New Zealand’s Lincoln University while on a student exchange scholarship from Oregon State in 1999. Jesse then spent two years as cellar rat for winemaker Bruce McGuire at Santa Barbara Winery prior to coming back to his family winery. He joined the winemaking team in 2004 and now serves on the board of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. 2018 is a big year for the Lange family. To kick off Oregon wine month, the Lange family will open a new tasting hall on May 5th, 2018. The photos of the building look gorgeous.
The new wines by Lange Estate were impressive across the board, all scoring 90+. Lange sources from some of the great Willamette Valley vineyards, including their own first planted 30 years ago in 1988. Look to their 2015 Lange Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 90) which is a ripe and juicy effort that is a downright awesome value at a mere $25.00. An outstanding wine, the 2015 Lange Estate ‘Lange Estate Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) shows a gorgeous combination of richness and poise. This barrel selection wine wine that captures the essence of the Dundee Hills. Learn more about this outstanding Oregon winery at https://www.langewinery.com/ Here are the great new wines by Lange Estate
2016 Lange Estate Pinot Gris- Bright starfruit and pear mark the nose. The racy acidity is outstanding and completes this exceptional bottling that is best enjoyed in the short term. What this lacks in richness, makes up in sterling minerality. Enjoy with some fresh Kusshi oysters. Drink 2018-2022- 90
2016 Lange Estate ‘Reserve’ Pinot Gris- This starts off with a bright nose of kumquat and starfruit with nutmeg. Like their entry level Pinot Gris, the minerality is outstanding and cuts through the mid-palate. Red delicious apple, starfruit and kumquat flavors finishes this great bottling by Jesse Lange. Drink 2018-2022- 91
2016 Lange Estate ‘Three Hills Cuvee’ Chardonnay- The toasty oak offers intrigue on the nose with cantaloupe and red delicious apple aromatics approaching you. There is a good combination of balance and poise, as the wine shows good citrus flavors with green apple and cantaloupe shining through. Delicious and lithe, this is an excellent wine that is best enjoyed in the next five to seven years. Drink 2018-2025- 91
2015 Lange Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Fruit driven and focused, this shows a nice combo of dark fruits, red fruits and tension in the glass. A downright winner, enjoy this great bottling over the next five to seven years. Drink 2018-2024- 90
2015 Lange Estate ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Lange has been sourcing from this great vineyard since 1990. The vineyard site is known for its dramatic diurnal shifts. The nose has really good range, with orange zest, red cherry and forest floor. The texture here is outstanding as red fruits connect with lighter citrus and earthy tones. This is another serious Pinot Noir by Jesse Lange. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2015 Lange Estate ‘Lange Estate Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This deep colored Pinot Noir has a gorgeous bouquet of white pepper, back truffle and black cherry. Polished, and downright delicious, this hard to resist Pinot Noir showcases wild blackberry, ripe cherry and peat moss flavors. Seductive and rich, this gorgeous wine will cellar well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2018-2032- 93
2015 Lange Estate ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- Dark fruits mark the nose with forest floor elements. The silky texture entices. There is wonderful richness to this wine that showcases a wonderful combination of dark and red fruits with earthy undertones. This is another gorgeous effort by Lange. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2015 Lange Estate ‘Three Hills Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- This is sourced from a host of great vineyards including the Freedom Hill and Lange Estate vineyards, as well as some in the Yamhil-Carlton AVA. This shows serious weight and minerality on the mid-palate with dark cherry, fig, peat moss and a hint of blood orange. Deep and delicious, enjoy this great wine over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2015 Lange Estate ‘Liberty Bell’ Pinot Noir- Starting with dark fruits and forest floor on the nose, the wine has wonderful mid-palate weight. Rich dark fruits echo on the palate with light black truffle flavors coming in. This seriously good Pinot Noir will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92