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Owen Bargreen

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Joe Ibrahim crafts some outstanding wines for Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Willamette Valley Vineyards

October 28, 2021

Oregon winemaking has a  rich history in the Pacific Northwest. One of the oldest wineries in the valley, Willamette Valley Vineyards founder, Jim Bernau, purchased the Estate site in 1983 and  planted Pinot Noir (Pommard and Wadenswil clones), Chardonnay (Dijon and Espiguette) as well as Pinot Gris. Bernau took winemaking classes at UC Davis and finally started the winery full time in 1989. Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown considerably in the past 20 years, as they merged with Bill Fuller of Tualatin Vineyards (established in 1973), the O'Briens for Elton Vineyard (established in 1983) and Loeza Vineyard (planted in 2015). The winery now sources all of its Pinot Noir from its nearly 500 estate-grown vineyards.

I loved the new wines by Willamette Valley Vineyards as the winery has been a pillar of consistency over the past few years. Look to the outstanding and rich new 2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Tualitin Estate’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which has sensational texture and good finesse with excellent flavor and aromatic range. I adored the new  2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards “Bernau Block’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which is already nicely evolved at the three year mark and shows lighter truffle tones alongside a core of fresh fruit. This beauty is really starting to hit its stride. Here are the new releases from Willamette Valley Vineyards and check out their impressive lineup of Pinots and Chardonnays at http://wvv.com


2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Tualitin Estate’ Chardonnay- The ‘Tualitin Estate’ was established back in 1973 and is set on Laurelwood soils. The wine has a great sense of stuffing and bright minerality, as layers of lemon oil, baking spice dusted brioche, Japanese pear and salty accents all impress. Enjoy this beautiful bottling over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 93


2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Dijon Clone’ Chardonnay- The 2019 ‘Dijon Clone’ Chardonnay reveals ripe melon and buttered French bread with stony minerals on the palate, with a soft mouthfeel and beautiful length. Rich and layered, enjoy this bright style of Oregon Chardonnay over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-2027- 92


2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Blanc- Fleshy and vibrant, the 2019 Pinot Blanc displays starfruit tones that combine with shades of cantaloupe, wet stone and a silky texture on the palate. Enjoy this beautiful wine in the short-term. Drink 2021-2026- 91


2019 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Dijon Clone’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Dijon Clone’ Pinot Noir was aged for only nine months in 12% new French oak prior to bottling. The wine comes off very fresh and pure in terms of bright red fruit flavors (guava, strawberry and red cherry) with smoky and earthy undertones. This is seriously pretty stuff that is best enjoyed in its vibrant and silky youth — over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-2027- 92


2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Appellation Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Appellation Cuvee’ is a blend of clonal selections (Pommard, 777, 115 and Mariafeld). Aged for sixteen months in a small percentage of new French oak (12%), this evokes beautiful red raspberry and  red rose petals aromatically with freshly tilled soils. The palate is silky smooth with serious weight and structure, showing a good core of red and dark fruits and plenty of weight and poise. Downright delicious now, this outstanding 2018 Pinot Noir has some really nice cellaring potential. Drink 2021-2031- 93


2017 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Ingram Estate’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Ingram Estate’ is located in the Eola-Amity Hills and is set on Nekia and Jory soils. The nose reflects that and shows a dusting of volcanic soils, as pretty red fruits collide with shades of orange rind on the nose. The palate is fresh and lively with a silky texture plenty of lip-smacking acidity. This finishes very long as this beautiful wine has only just begun to hit its stride. Drink 2021-2033- 93


2018 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Bernau Block’ Pinot Noir- Ancient for Oregon standards, the ‘Bernau Block’ was planted in 1983 to Dijon selections 667 and 777 and is named after Willamette Valley Vineyards founder Jim Bernau. Silky tannins line the core of wild blackberry, Bing cherry, smoky minerals and shades of black truffle crudo on the palate. The length and weight add to the enjoyment as this has at least another decade to go. Drink 2021-2031- 93


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