One of the newer sites in the Dundee Hills, L’Angolo Estate was founded by proprietors Holdings and Lou Renton, who purchased a 20 acre property in the Dundee Hills several years back. The estate vineyard is planted to 6 acres of Pinot Noir and 4 acres of Chardonnay, which were planted in two successive years. Vines are set in a combination of Jory and Nekia soils, as the site has four clones of Pinot Noir and two clones of Chardonnay across 13 clone-specific vineyard blocks.

Chase Renton is at the helm as winemaker but also as general manager. He has a background in wine sales and also studied at Apicius Wine Studies in 2011. He has led L’Angelo since 2012 and has formerly worked harvests in California and Burgundy before settling down in Oregon. I love the wines that he made which are texturally very gratifying. Some 2019 Oregon Pinot Noirs can be quite angular due to the difficult harvest conditions. These are dense and rich wines that are nothing like that. Don’t miss his delicious 2020 L’Angolo ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is deep and concentrated with a silky mouthfeel and loads of richness. Even better is the 2019 L’Angolo ‘Il Terzo’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which comes from a single clone and is really delicious in its combination of red and dark fruit flavors. Learn more about this great newer winery at https://www.langoloestate.com and here are my reviews of the new L’Angolo Estate wines.

2020 L’Angolo ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- The 2020 ‘Estate’ displays some wonderful flinty tones on the nose with toasted brioche, dried apricot and suggestions of baking spice dusted Japanese pear. The palate is soft on the mouth with a rich sense of texture. Beautiful melon and citrus fruits combine with shades of sourdough bread on the palate. With beautiful length, this is already showing great and will continue to provide drinking pleasure over the next eight years. Drink 2023-2031- 92

2020 L’Angolo ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- The 2020 ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay is a barrel selection wine made by winemaker Chase Renton which comes from the L’Angelo 20 acre estate site in the Dundee Hills AVA. Deeper and darker than the ‘Estate’ bottling, this reveals a seamless texture with loads of minerals alongside lemon oil, cantaloupe, and Challah bread notes. Simply marvelous to consume now, this will drink well for another decade — or potentially more. Drink 2023-2033- 93

2019 L’Angolo ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2020 ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir by L’Angolo comes from this slightly cooler vintage in the Willamette Valley. On the nose this comes off very Burgundian with black truffle crudo, Mandarin orange rind, freshly tilled loamy soils and suggestions of white pepper. The palate is plush and soft with a great sense of mouthfeel. Enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2023-2035- 92

2019 L’Angolo ‘Il Terzo’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Il Terzo’ is sourced from a single clone and single block fermenter of Dijon clone 777 from the South block of the L’Angelo Estate vineyard. The nose is alluring with red rose petals, cigar box, volcanic soils and suggestions of red currants. The palate is very refined and layered, as this is truly some complex Pinot Noir. Not overly rich, but very well-balanced, this walks the tightrope with copious red and black fruits, with peat moss and wild mushroom flavors already emerging. A delicious 2019 Pinot Noir, this beauty is great now but will cellar well for another fifteen years to come. Drink 2023-2038- 94

2019 L’Angolo ‘Foudre’ Pinot Noir- Like the name suggests, the 2019 ‘Foudre’ was stored in large French oak casks before bottling. Rich in color, this opens with ripe dates, damp soils, and a dusting of volcanic earth, with wild blackberry on the nose. The palate is rich and gratifying with layers of toasty oak that combine with the dense red and dark fruit flavors. A pleasure to consume now, this outstanding Pinot Noir will cellar well for another fifteen years. Drink 2023-2038- 93

2019 L’Angolo ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- A delicious barrel selection wine, the 2019 ‘Reserve’ by L’Angolo is another outstanding effort from this vintage. Once on the nose this takes on layers of white pepper, sandalwood and suggestions of damp basement alongside ripe boysenberry notes. The palate is fresh and inviting with plenty of richness and underlying finesse. Enjoy this now and over the next twelve plus years. Drink 2023-2036- 93