Sitting across from Jesse and Don Lange, you could just feel the sense of history in the building. “This is where we used to hold tastings” said Don. Years before they built their state of the art tasting facility I fondly recall visiting the expansive Lange property roughly twenty years ago for the first time. I was captivated by the sweeping views of the valley from this site.
It was back in 1987 that Don Lange, took a chance by acquiring a large chunk of land that had sweeping views of the Willamette Valley. Don made the wines for many years and over time his son Jesse transitioned into their head winemaker, taking over for his father. During my recent visit we would taste through the recently bottled 2022 wines. 2022 was a cooler year that had a very moderate growing season but a warm fall that led to late-ripening. Jesse spoke with glee about 2022. “We were so thrilled with the way that these turned out, the fall literally saved the vintage” he said. The 2022 wines by Lange are extremely well-made but also have a very classic feel, a slight departure from warm vintages like 2021.
I adored the 2022 Lange ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which is a wine that is already drinking beautifully and has a ton of aging potential. Even better is the stunning 2022 Lange ‘Estate’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which is deep and concentrated with fantastic flavor density already. This beauty will go for another fifteen plus years. Learn more about this outstanding Oregon winery at https://www.langewinery.com/ Here are the great new wines by Lange Estate
2022 Lange ‘Classique’ Chardonnay- The 2022 Dijon clonal selection ‘Classique’ Chardonnay was stored in 15% new French oak before bottling. This shows good ripeness and tension with nectarine and Pink Lady apple flavors that combine with juicy starfruit and baking spices. Drink 2023-2031- 91
2022 Lange ‘Three Hills Cuvee’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Three Hills Cuvee’ is an outstanding showing that mainly was sourced from the Estate, Freedom Hill and Durant Vineyards, the wine was stored in 20% concrete eggs before bottling. Rich and layered, this is delicious wine that has fantastic underlying finesse and mouth-watering acidity. Rich citrus oil flavors combine with pastry crust and shades of allspice on the palate. Drink 2023-2033- 92
2022 Lange ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- A totally stunning wine, the 2022 ‘Estate’ Chardonnay is a dense and delicious bottling that is already showing beautifully. Once on the nose this shows off lime zest alongside diatomaceous earth, white rose, toasted walnut and suggestions of pie crust. The soft texture entices, as this shows beautiful length and underlying verve. You’re going to love how this is already evolved. Drink 2023-2037- 95
2022 Lange ‘Freedom Hill’ Chardonnay- Set on this site that has vines on Bellpine Soils, this was stored in 40% new French oak. Chardonnay vines were planted all the way back in 1998. This is heady and delicious stuff that is absolutely delicious to enjoy right now. Nicely textured and rich, with its core of melon and citrus fruits, this is decadent wine that is already beautifully evolved. Drink 2023-2037- 94
2022 Lange ‘Classique’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Classique’ comes from a range of sites including the Estate and Freedom Hill Vineyards. This offers macerated strawberry notes that combine with balsamic vinegar, cedar, and pretty red florals. Fresh and nicely textured, with good weight, this is delicious Pinot Noir that is already nicely evolved. Drink 2023-2029- 91
2022 Lange ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2022 Lange ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir is nicely textured and weighted even so young. A pure core of red fruits greets you with stony soils, Mandarin orange zest and shades of baking spices. Complex and delicious, this is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2023-2033- 93
2022 Lange ‘Three Hills Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Three Hills Cuvee’ is an outstanding bottling from this late harvest year. The wine comes off very fresh and fragrant with pomegranate seed, Yakima cherry, kumquat zest, sweet raspberry and suggestions of baking spices on the palate. Drink 2023-2032- 92
2022 Lange ‘Lucky River Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This comes from a new property acquired by the Lange family in January 2022. The wine shows beautiful purity of fruit with guava, red currants and cedar notes alongside gorgeous red rose florals. This is very Barolo meets Willamette Valley with its high tones. Drink 2023-2037- 94