An outstanding house in Oregon, Purple Hands was founded by Cody and Marque Wright. The name Purple Hands is meant to depict this work: the work of harvest when your hands are purple and black and rugged from long days and nights of pushing yourself to create and sustain quality. Cody is an environmental scientist by education and in 2005, at 25 years old, Cody founded Purple Hands Winery with a production of 250 cases. Five years later Marque joined Cody, and together their guidance and focus on quality create the foundation of the company. Two decades of vintages later—Purple Hands Winery works with three estate vineyards and sources from the most acclaimed vineyards in Oregon.
Wines were seriously good across the board. I love the 2022 Purple Hands ‘Haakon/Lenai’ Chardonnay (OB, 94) which is dense and rich with serious aging potential. Even better is the incredible 2022 Purple Hands ‘Dundee Reserve’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is a refined and elegant bottling with fabulous flavor range. Learn more about this outstanding winery at https://www.purplehandswine.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Purple Hands wines.
2022 Purple Hands ‘Dundee Reserve’ Chardonnay- The 2022 Dundee Reserve Chardonnay comes from blocks 13 and 14 in the Haakon/Lenai Vineyard. Stored mainly in stainless steel, this offers juicy pear and fig flavors with bergamot notes and salty minerals on the palate. Smooth throughout the drinking experience, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2022 Purple Hands ‘Haakon/Lenai’ Chardonnay- Brimming with tension and texture, the outstanding 2022 Purple Hands ‘Haakon/Lenai’ Chardonnay delivers oyster shell and salty peach flavors that combine with suggestions of Meyer lemon and brioche notes on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, showing good viscosity and verve, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten years. Don’t serve too cold! Drink 2024-2034- 94
2021 Haakon/Lenai ‘Estate’ Chardonnay- This 2021 ‘Estate’ Chardonnay was stored for 10 months in 40% new French oak before bottling and comes from this 35 acre site in the Dundee Hills AVA. This is rich and viscous Oregon Chardonnay showing bright pear and peach flavors that combine with salty minerals and shades of white pepper on the palate. Brisk and mineral-laden, with Meyer lemon cream accents, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years to come. Don’t serve this beautiful wine too cold. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2021 Haakon/Lenai ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2021 Haakon/Lenai ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir comes from Jory soils and utilizes Pommard, Dijon 115 and 777 clonal selections at this site planted back in 1998. The palate is very Dundee Hills in its smoldering stony profile alongside red currants, menthol and shades of wild blackberry. Fresh and lithe on the mouth, this is a beautiful rendition of a warm vintage wine from this region. Enjoy now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2039- 94
2022 Purple Hands ‘Lone Oak Ranch’ Pinot Noir- This outstanding new Pinot Noir comes from a range of sites throughout the Willamette Valley. Stored in only 5% new French oak, this offers a beautiful bouquet of pink grapefruit blossom alongside red currants, tobacco leaf and shades of loamy soils. The palate is plush and fresh with serious texture and tension. Delicious to savor now, enjoy over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Purple Hands ‘Latchkey Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This 2022 Pinot Noir was sourced from this site in the Dundee Hills, set at 500 feet on Jory soils. Stored in 30% new French oak before bottling, this delivers dark raspberry and wild blackberry notes on the palate, with freshly tilled salty soils, tobacco and shades of black truffle. A beautiful wine now, watch this evolve over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2036-94
2022 Purple Hands ‘West Wind Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The West Wind Vineyard is an estate site set in the heart of the Ribbon Ridge AVS. Planted to a range of Pinot Noir clones, vines are set on Willakenzie soils. Translucent in the glass, this delivers loads of juicy guava, red cherry and red raspberry fruits with pomegranate seed and orange rind accents. Smooth throughout, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Purple Hands ‘Haakon/Lenai Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This 2022 Pinot Noir was sourced from a site which was acquired by Purple Hands back in 2019 as this dry-farmed vineyard is set on Jory soils. Rich red cherry and red raspberry candy combine wth garrigue notes and baking spices on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and very fresh, enjoy this outstanding 2022 Pinot Noir now and over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Purple Hands ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- One of the acclaimed sites in the Willamette Valley, the Shea Vineyard was planted by Dick Shea back in 1989. Stored for 10 months in 30% new French oak this offers rich marionberry fruit flavors with pie crust notes alongside lavender and shades of salty soils. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Purple Hands ‘Kropf Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Kropf Vineyard is a two acre side set on alluvial Jory soils with basalt rock sediment. The 2022 Pinot Noir was stored in 30% new French oak for 10 months before bottling. This comes off wonderfully stony and earthy, loaded with flint and dried herbs alongside bright strawberry and guava. This exudes class with its sensational combination of texture, viscosity and tension. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2022 Purple Hands ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Freedom Hill vineyard is located in the Oregon Coast Range near the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. This 2022 Pinot Noir opens with a beautiful bouquet of red rose petals with citrus rind, stony minerals and shades of fresh sage. The palate is plush, round and generous with a seamless texture and good sense of weight and length. A stunning wine that is drinking marvelously now, enjoy over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2036- 95
2022 Purple Hands ‘Dundee Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 Dundee Reserve is a barrel selection wine that comes from Block 8 at the Haakon//Lenai Vineyard. Stored for 10 months in all stainless steel, this Pommard Clone Pinot Noir delivers good concentration and stony character on the mid-palate. Pomegranate seed, loganberry and red cherry flavors parade with kumquat rind and copious minerals on the palate. Full-bodied and delicious, enjoy this delightful new bottling now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2039- 95
2022 Purple Hands ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Coming from this famed site on Red Mountain, the 2022 ‘Ciel du Cheval’ offers loads of dark currants and tobacco leaf on the nose with shades of chocolate and scorched earth. Medium to full-boded with good verve and mid-palate depth, enjoy now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2039- 93