L’Angelo Estate
Today we share one of the newer locations that is located 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. The last two releases of wines from this site have appeared as nicely concentrated and loaded with red and black fruit flavors, with great flinty and stony undertones.
At the helm is winemaker Chase Renton who has a background in wine sales and also studied at Apicius Wine Studies in 2011. He has led L’Angolo since 2012 and has formerly worked harvests in California and Burgundy before settling down in Oregon. The wines that he makes have a beginning, middle and end. I was very impressed wth the concentration, finesse and mouthfeel that he was able to achieve in his 2019 wines.
The new wines come from the warm 2021 vintage which has been somewhat of a home run for winemakers across the Willamette Valley. I love the new 2021 L’Angolo ‘Estate’ Chardonnay (OB, 92) which shows good richness and flavor range. The best wine that I tasted was the impossible to resist 2021 L’Anoelo ‘Il Terzo’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which comes from a single clone and is absolutely fabulous stuff even to consume in its heady youth. Learn more about this fantastic Dundee Hills outpost at https://www.langoloestate.com and here are my reviews of the new 2021 L’Angelo Estate wines.
2021 L’Angolo ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- The outstanding 2021 ‘Estate’ Chardonnay displays the same flinty notes that I noticed in their 2020 bottling. Baking spice drenched pear, shades of nectarine and salty soils all combine on the nose, with sourdough bread notes. The palate is very soft and inviting with a smooth texture and good sense of weight. Layers of citrus and melon fruits combine nicely with copious minerals backing things up. Medium to full-bodied, this is delicious stuff to consume now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2021 L’Angolo ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2020 ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir by L’Angolo is a beautifully rich showing from this slightly warmer vintage. Once on the nose this exudes class with red currants and wild mushroom notes alongside blood orange zest and freshly tilled soils. The palate shows both bright acidity and solid concentration, loaded with citrus rind and red fruit flavors. This is already beautifully evolved stuff that is best consumed over the next decade. Drink 2023-2033- 92
2019 L’Angolo ‘Il Terzo’ Pinot Noir- The best wine that I tasted from the new lineup, the 2021 ‘Il Terzo’ comes from a single block of Dijon clone 777 which was planted at the southern portion of the L’Angolo Estate vineyard. Right away the bouquet captivates with exotic spices and wild blackberry notes alongside damp basement and stony undercurrents. The palate is concentrated and very plush on the approach as this guides you through a terrific array of red and black fruit flavors, with damp earth and stony tones. This is a beautiful Pinot Noir to consume now that will also reward you down the road in the cellar. Drink 2023-2038- 94
2021 L’Angolo ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- A delicious new wine from this warm vintage, the 2021 ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir is a fantastic new release that is already nicely evolved. Bright and heady on the nose, this offers tart cranberry and red currant jelly notes alongside shades of white pepper and black truffle shavings. The palate is refined and silky with smooth tannins and a soft mouthfeel. Loaded with black and red fruits, this is downright delicious Pinot Noir that has some great aging potential. Drink 2023-2036- 93