One of Oregon’s historic wineries, King Estate is remarkably celebrating 30 years as an Oregon winery. “Thirty years later, the King family has remained true to the vision of producing world-class wines that showcase the spirit and character of Oregon” said King Estate winemaker Brent Stone. “By staying focused on that, the winery has evolved and grown to what it is today, and we’re still going strong,” Stone added.
CEO and co-founder Ed King founded King Estate in 1991 with his father, Ed King, Jr. (1921 – 2012). “When we filed papers with the Secretary of State in January 1991, we were not even sure what we would call our wine enterprise” said King. He continued “As we mark this 30th anniversary, on the heels of the most challenging and memorable year of our history, we take stock of all that we have accomplished and yet it feels like we are just getting started – because we are. We have so much more to do. The resolve and determination our people showed this past year is what will carry us forward to accomplish even more.”
As an objective critic I have been so impressed with this estate over the past twenty years. This is an Oregon estate that has been synonymous with value. I’ve tasted older renditions of their Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris and have bee found them to be exceptionally age-worthy as well. Having recently visited the estate, this is truly one of the most beautiful sites for growing grapes that you will find in the Pacific Northwest. Sitting down with winemaker Brent Stone, we talked about the recent vintages as well as the aging potential of these wines. They have made a downright killer aged sparkling wine and the 2008 King Estate ‘Blanc de Noirs’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 93) is focused and electric with an outstanding mouthfeel and really good flavor range. I absolutely adored the new 2018 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which is amongst the best Pinot Noirs that I have ever tried from this famed Willamette Valley estate. The flavor range here is glorious as is the bright beam of tension that runs through the core of the wine. Learn more about this famed estate at https://www.kingestate.com and here are my tasting notes from the new release wines by King Estate.
2008 King Estate ‘Blanc de Noirs’ Sparkling Wine- Unabashedly bold and beautifully textured, the 2008 ‘Blanc de Noirs’ Sparkling wine shows off heady golden delicious apple, baking spices and sourdough bread tones with shades of forest floor on the nose. The palate is soft and round, with ripe Japanese pear and starfruit flavors with loads of minerals and smoky undertones. This is really singing now. Drink 2021-2028- 93
2019 King Estate ‘Steiner Block’ Pinot Gris- A very limited production wine, the 2019 ‘Steiner Block’ impresses with its silky smooth texture and wonderful kiwi and melon tones on the palate. Shades of wet stone, white grapefruit and wild mushroom add to the enjoyment here. This is Oregon Pinot Gris at its best. Drink 2021-2031- 94
2017 King Estate ‘Kennel Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2017 ‘Kennel Vineyard’ is a seriously strong showing by the talented Brent Stone. The oily texture is really outstanding as lemon rind, cantaloupe, wet stone and shades of toasted hazelnut all meld together on the palate. With great length and showing some flinty undertones, this outstanding new Chardonnay will cellar well for another eight to ten years. Drink 2021-2028- 93
2015 King Estate ‘Hyland’ Pinot Noir- The 2015 ‘Hyland’ Pinot Noir is a glorious showing at the six year mark. Ripe redcurrant and menthol tones combine with good freshness and light tannins on the palate. The light sense of salinity and earthy undertones add to the complexity. With plenty of finesse and verve, this is sensational Pinot Noir to savor right now. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2018 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Noir- Refined and elegant for the vintage, the 2018 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Noir shows gobs of sour red fruits alongside good tension and a light dusting of salinity. Fresh and polished, with light tannins, this outstanding effort is simply singing now and will continue to provide drinking enjoyment for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2033- 94
2017 King Estate ‘Quintessence Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The2017 King Estate ‘Quintessence Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows good dense dark fruits with tar, tobacco leaf and scorched earth tones on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with firm tannins and a soft sense of mouthfeel, this is a gorgeous effort that has at least another decade of life in front of it. Drink 2021-2033- 92