A winery making top class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Lavinea was founded by Greg Ralston and Isabelle Meunier. From 1988 to 2009 Greg worked closely with Jim Barrett at Chateau Montelena Winery, the last ten years as Managing Director. He then took on a role as Sr. VP of Strategic Initiatives with Wilson Daniels, collaborating with Jack Daniels and renowned Estates such as Castello di Volpaia and Ceretto from Italy, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Domaine Leflaive from Burgundy, Schramsberg from Napa Valley among others. Recruited to become President & CEO of Evening Land Vineyards in 2012, Greg oversaw related wineries in California, Burgundy and Oregon.
Lavinea relies on the winemaking talents of Isabelle Meunier, who formerly worked for Dominique Lafon to oversee winemaking at his then-new Oregon consulting project, Evening Land, in 2007. Isabelle quickly became one of Oregon’s most acclaimed winemakers. Isabelle has degrees in winemaking and viticulture from the University of Dijon in Burgundy, and in New Zealand at Lincoln University. Her new wines were spectacular. I adored the 2021 Lavinea ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is fresh and vibrant with serious tension and nuance. Learn more about these top class wines at lavinea.com and here are my reviews of the new wines by Lavinea.
2022 Lavinea ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Chardonnay- Fresh and polished, the 2021 ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Vineyard offers plenty of stony minerals on the palate, offering smoke, white pepper, green melon and shades of Japanese pear. Fresh and vibrant, with a Chablisesque sense of salty and diatomaceous soil essence, this is very refined Chardonnay that is already nicely evolved. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2021 Lavinea ‘Elton Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Even better than the ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ bottling the 2021 ‘Elton Vineyard’ comes form this site that was first planted in 1983 and later expanded in 2013. This is vibrant, fresh and beautifully textured Chardonnay. Loads of mouth-watering acidity greet you on the palate, with poached pear, kumquat zest, and salty soils. Very elegant and sleek, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2022 Lavinea ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Pinot Noir- Very fresh and fragrant, the 2022 ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Pinot Noir offers plenty of crunchy red raspberry and pomegranate flavors that mingle well with tilled soils and suggestions of baking spices with Mandarin orange rind. This is going to age gracefully over the next decade. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2021 Lavinea ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2021 Lavinea ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a stunning new bottling from this warm vintage. Once on the nose this shows off layers of salty soils that collide with red currants, tobacco leaf and shades of Linzer torte. The palate is refined and very fresh with a silky texture and beautiful core of red fruit flavors. Well-balanced, with no rough edges, and a sprinkling of white pepper, this is a sensational new bottling that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2038- 95
2021 Lavinea ‘Elton Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Elton Vineyard’ comes from this site in the Eola-Amity Hills with vines planted back to the 1980s. This comes off rich and generous with a refined texture and smooth mouthfeel. Layers of black raspberry and freshly tilled salty soils combine with shades of bergamot and kumquat rind on the palate. Great to savor now in its heady youth, enjoy now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 94
2021 Lavinea ‘Tualatin Estate’ Pinot Noir- The beautiful and refined 2021 Lavinea ‘Tualatin Estate’ Pinot Noir is a fantastic new bottling from this vintage. Aromatically perfumed and intense, this offers potpourri and bright red fruits that collide with orange blossom and shades of enoki mushroom. The palate is pure with a gorgeous core of red fruits, with serious freshness, texture and resolve. Finishing very long, this is a beautiful new bottling that has some great cellaring potential. Drink 2024-2040- 94