Today we share the beautiful range of wines by Walter Scott. Oregon wine is very happy that Erica Landon and Ken Pahlow founded this incredible house that sources from some of the finest sites in the Willamette Valley. Many years in the making, the name Walter Scott honors two important men in Ken’s life: Walter, Ken's grandfather, who was a flight engineer for Trans World Airlines and Scott, and Ken's nephew who passed away young and reminded both Ken and Erica that life can be exceedingly short. Their first vintage was produced in 2009 at Patricia Green Cellars and in 2011 Walter Scott began making Chardonnay, which was met immediately with seriously good critical acclaim. The rest has been history.
The wines from 2022 are arguably the finest that they have made yet. I adored the 2022 Walter Scott ‘Koosah’ Chardonnay (OB, 97) which is flinty and stony with salty character and outstanding flavor and aromatic range. I am totally enamored by the 2021 Walter Scott ‘X Novo Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 97) which is easily one of the finest Chardonnays I have tasted in the past year from the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at https://www.walterscottwine.com Here are my tasting notes from the beautiful new lineup of Walter Scott wines.
2022 Walter Scott ‘Cuvee Anne’ Chardonnay- The electric 2022 ‘Cuvee Anne’ offers plenty of peach, pear and stony minerals on the palate, with flinty accents. Beautifully textured, enjoy this medium body beauty now and over the next six to eight years. Drink 2024-2031- 93
2022 Walter Scott ‘Koosah Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This brilliant 2022 Chardonnay comes from this site that has a strong influence from the Pacific Ocean, set on broken basalt. The stony and salty influence in the wine is neatly defined, as wet stone and salted orchard fruits combine with shades of marzipan and a refined texture on the palate. This expression of terroir is quite simply magical. While really delicious and novel now, enjoy over the next ten to fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 97
2022 Walter Scott ‘Justice Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Justice Vineyard’ comes this site owned by the Casteel family. This location is set on both Jory and marine-sedimentary soils. The wine is beautifully reductive, with bright underlying acidity on the mouth. Salted peach, green herbs and flinty tones mark the palate alongside shades of Japanese pear and salted French bread. Delicious and neatly textured, this is a beautiful wine that has both the weight and acidity to cellar well for over a decade. Drink 2024-2036- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘Hyland Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Walter Scott has been sourcing from the Hyland Vineyard’ for many years, utilizing this Dundee Hills site that was planted back in the 1980s and set on volcanic soils. Stored in 35% new French oak before bottling, this offers flinty tones on the nose alongside bright pear and brioche tones. The palate is plush and dense with a lush sense of mouthfeel and beautiful verve. The freshness and lip-smacking acidity brings you back to the glass for more sips. It is a total stunner that is drinking marvelously now. Drink 2024-2036- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This 2022 Chardonnay was sourced from this 140 acre property that is set on marine sedimentary, uplifted seabed. This version saw 50% new French oak, as this opens with a beautiful bouquet of lime zest, wet rock and shades of cardamom dusted French bread. The palate has great tension and weight, loaded with citrus and melon fruit flavors. Silky and well-defined, with a smooth drinking experience throughout, this is a total stunner that has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2036- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘X Novo Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Year after year the Walter Scott ‘X Novo Vineyard’ Chardonnay is one of the finest of its kind that I taste in Oregon. This vintage is no different. Coming from the year that seemed like it would never end, the 2022 shows the classic flint and Japanese pear notes alongside sterling freshness and beautiful texture on the palate. Medium-bodied, with lovely salty accents, this is very Chablis meets Oregon. Drink 2024-2040- 97
2022 Walter Scott ‘Sojeau Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Coming from this location in the Eola-Amity Hills, the 2022 ‘Sojeau Vineyard’ Chardonnay offers flinty tones and white flowers on the nose with melon fruits and shades of cardamom laced pie crust aromatics. The palate is bursting with flavors, showing kiwi and mango notes alongside cashew nut and wet rocky accents. Finishing long, this beauty has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2034- 95
2022 Walter Scott ‘Koosah Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Koosah Vineyard was purchased by Resonance Winery in 2022 and is located 55 miles from the Pacific Ocean, as this has a high impact from this proximity. This shows off its concentrated core in the glass, revealing black raspberry, black truffle shavings, peat moss and shades of tart cranberry on the nose. The palate has beautiful depth and length as this glides throughout the drinking experience. A totally gorgeous rendition of Oregon Pinot Noir, this is already nicely evolved stuff that has at least another fifteen years to go. Drink 2024-2040- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘Sojeau Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Sojeau Vineyard’ is located in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and is set on all volcanic soils. Smoldering stone and tart red fruits all mark the nose alongside citrus blossom and shades of forest floor. The palate is plush and rich, with good flavor density and verve. Smooth and round on the mouth, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Give it an hour in the decanter if enjoying now. Drink 2024-2044- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘Witness Tree Vineyards’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2022 Walter Scott ‘Witness Tree Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this site set in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. This shows deep concentrated color in the glass, unveiling wet rock and red rose petals alongside orange peel and suggestions of peat moss. The palate is big, round and generous with plenty of texture and bright, mouth-watering acidity. A total stunner, enjoy this fantastic Pinot Noir now and over the next twenty years. Drink 2024-2044- 95
2022 Walter Scott ‘X Novo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The deep and rich 2022 Walter Scott ‘X Novo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this famed site in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. This is wonderfully salty and flinty stuff on the mouth, with a seamless mouthfeel and great sense of underlying tension. Salty minerals and wet gravel combine with a generous core of black and red fruits, with enoki mushroom and fresh sage accents. Full-bodied and neatly textured, enjoy this glorious new wine now and over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 97
2022 Walter Scott ‘Justice Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This brilliant 2022 Pinot Noir comes from the Justice Vineyard which is a 40 acre parcel farmed by the Casteel family who founded Bethel Heights winery in 1977. This offers a gorgeous core of cranberry, red cherry, pomegranate seed and guava fruit flavors that mingle well with copious minerals and earthy tone. With more air kumquat rind notes and hints of black truffle shavings add to the complexity. Gorgeous to consume in its heady youth, enjoy over the next twenty years. Drink 2024-2044- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This old vineyard was first planted back in 1981 in the foothills of the Oregon coast range northwest of Monmouth, Oregon. Given only 5% whole cluster fermentation, this was stored in only 15% new French oak before bottling. Juicy red fruits parade with orange peel, loamy soils and suggestions of fresh mint on the palate, with stony accents. Generous and bright, showing good weight and verve, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next fifteen plus years. Be sure to give this an hour in the decanter if savoring now. Drink 2024-2040- 96
2022 Walter Scott ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- One of the famed sites in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, the Sequitur Vineyard was planted by the founders of Beaux Freres between 2012-2014. The wine was stored or 15 months in 50% new French oak prior to bottling. Right away this comes off silky and generous in terms of bright marionberry and pomegranate seed flavors, alongside light tannins, cran-orange and salty soils. Showing really good depth, this is a bit tightly-wound right now and can benefit from another year in the bottle. This is going to cellar marvelously for fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2040- 96