Oregon Wine Month might have been completed but at Owen Bargreen we continue to march on, sharing some of the top wines in the state. Located in the southern end of the Willamette Valley, King Estate is one of the few wineries in North America (potentially the only one) where more vines of Pinot Gris are grown than any other varietal. There is a reason for this — year after year King Estate delivers two of the best Pinot Gris bottling in the state, with their entry level wine and their top of the line ‘Domaine’ Pinot Gris. I have had every ‘Domaine’ Pinot Gris back to 2011 and I have been pretty overwhelmed with the quality in this bottling which shows amazing texture and range. These also age marvelously as I did a retrospective on these wines a few years back and found them to be standout wines in even hot vintages.
Over the years I have had the chance to visit and taste with their talented winemaker Brent Stone, who has been at the helm since 2011. He originally came to King Estate to serve as lab manager and moved his way up to head winemaker. Brent crafts some beautiful Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir wines. His ‘Willamette Valley’ collection of wines has been synonymous with value. I adore the fresh and vibrant 2021 King Estate Pinot Gris (OB, 90) which is fresh and shows serious texture and value. I adore the new 2018 King Estate ‘Brut Cuvee’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 93) which can easily cellar for another eight to ten years. This is highly defined Oregon bubbles. Learn more about this famed Oregon estate at https://www.kingestate.com and here are my tasting notes from the new King Estate wines.
2021 King Estate ‘Oregon’ Sauvignon Blanc- 4% Semillon is blended into this wine which was mostly sourced from the Willig and Ramona Vineyards. Gooseberry, kiwi and orange blossom notes dominate the nose. The palate is very fresh with a smooth texture and just a kiss of sweetness. Really well-done and novel, enjoy with fresh oysters. Drink 2022-2026- 90
2021 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris- Mostly sourced from the King Estate Vineyard, this weighs in at 13.5% alcohol. Pear and mango notes with cashew nut tones mark the nose. Very fresh and vibrant, this shows good weight and finesse. Drink 2022-2026- 90
2018 King Estate ‘Brut Cuvee’ Sparkling Wine- Taken from this warm vintage in the Willamette Valley, the 2018 ‘Brut Cuvee’ is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir with the remainder Chardonnay that is an awesome effort by winemaker Brent Stone. Baked pear, cardamom dusted marzipan, green apple and pineapple mark the nose. The palate is refined and shows off the silky mousse that makes this even more refined on the mouth. Drink 2022-2032- 92
2021 King Estate Rose- Made from Pinot Noir grapes, this displays straightforward pear, bubblegum and guava flavors that come together with a light effervescence. Drink 2022-2025- 89
2020 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Aged for ten months in French oak barrels, and mainly sourced from the Fern Hill and Croft vineyards, this opens with Yakima cherry, red raspberry and shades of teaberry and garrigue on the nose. The palate is very fresh and focused with medium-bodied red fruit and citrus rind flavors. This is a great effort considering the challenges of the vintage. Drink 2022-2026- 90
2018 North By Northwest ‘Red Blend’ Red Wine- A touch lean considering the vintage, this reveals black tea, blackberry and copious minerals on the palate. Drink 2022-2026- 89