For years King Estate have quietly been making some of the most consistently good Pinot Gris in Oregon. King Estate director of winemaking Brent Stone has a longstanding history in the industry and makes a really terrific range of wines.
It was many years ago that Oregon wine legend Ed King realized that the southern portion of the Willamette Valley was a perfect spot to grow Pinot Gris. They now make several hundred thousand cases of their ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris that you can find in wine shops and supermarkets across America. Brent Stone has now been at the helm since 2011. He has been doing a fantastic job with the wines that range in SKUs from Sauvignon Blanc and Rose to Sparkling Wines and inky Syrah. King Estate is arguably Oregon’s most beautiful winery with sweeping views of the valley and its vineyards.
I love the new 2024 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris (OB, 91) which is an incredible wine for the price. Learn more about this famed Oregon estate at https://www.kingestate.com and here are my tasting notes from the new King Estate wines.
2023 King Estate ‘Oregon’ Sauvignon Blanc- A really nice edition of this wine, the 2023 King Estate ‘Oregon’ Sauvignon Blanc offers pink grapefruit zest and shades of starfruit on the palate with a smooth mouthfeel and plenty of lip-smacking acidity. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2024 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris- The really good 2024 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris packs a punch for 20 bucks SRP. It comes form mainly the King Esate and Gosche vineyards. It is smooth and delicious with kiwi, cantalope and wet stone flavors that collide with copious minerals on the palate. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2024 King Estate ‘Artisan Series’ Pinot Gris- Another awesome new Gris, the 2024 ‘Artisan Series’ comes from the King Estate Vineyard. It comes off very mineral-laden with terrific freshness, tension and tension. Salty minerals combine with rich melon and citrus fruits on the palate. Drink 2025-2031-91
2024 King Estate ‘Four Nobles Cuvee Blanc’ White Wine- The 2024 ‘Four Nobles Cuvee’ combines manly estate Gewurtztraminer (63%) with smaller portions Pinot Gris, Muscat and Riesling. It is fresh, lithe and nicely-textured stuff with sweetened gooseberry and kiwi notes alongside green melon and hints of star jasmine water on the palate. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2023 King Estate ‘Havlin’ Gruner Veltliner- The 2023 ‘Havlin’ comes from this location in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA. This is juicy and delicious stuff with loads of tension, showing Pink Lady apple and honeydew melon notes alongside nutty undercurrents and salty minerals. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2023 King Estate ‘Paradox’ Pinot Gris- The outstanding 2023 ‘Pardox’ Pinot Gris saw some oak aging before bottling. It comes off rich and viscous with dense melon and citrus fruits that collide with cashew nut and shades of green papaya on the palate. Round and generous on the mouth, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight years to come. Drink 2025-2033- 92
2023 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Gris- Another stellar edition of this wine, the 2023 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Gris makes its case for one of the best wines of its kind in the United States. It comes off rich and fat on the tongue, with outstanding texture and minerality. Heady papaya, mango and starfruit flavors collide with gobs of minerality. Finishing very long, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2022 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay comes from a range of sites across the valley including Tall Tree and Grand Oak Vineyards. Bright pear and apple flavors combine with shades of mango on the palate. Drink 2025-2031- 90
2023 King Estate ‘Grand Oak Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Formerly the Nicolas Vineyard, this was rebranded as ‘Grand Oak.’ Aged in a combination of neutral and new oak barrels, concrete and stainless steel, Concentrated melon and tropical fruits collide with salted French bread and glorious length on the palate. Drink 2025-2033- 93
2024 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Rose- The 2024 ‘Willamette Valley’ Rose offers salty minerals with pretty red fruits, peaches and a kiss of sweetness. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2023 King Estate ‘Inscription’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 ‘Inscription/ comes mainly from the King Estate vineyard. It offers light bodied red fruits that parade with sea salt dusted orange peel and volcanic earth on the palate. Drink 2025-2030- 89
2023 King Estate ‘Artisan Series’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 ‘Artisan Series’ Pinot Noir is entirely sourced from their estate vineyard. It offers light to medium bodied red fruits that mingle well with tangerine zest and salty soils on the palate. Drink 2025-2030- 89
2023 King Estate ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The 2023 ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir delivers medium bodied Bing cherry and black raspberry fruit flavors alongside a smooth mouthfeel and loads of salty minerality. Soft and approachable; enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031- 90
2022 King Estate ‘Domaine’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Domaine’ Pinot Noir is another stellar edition of this wine. It is full-bodied, and loaded with bright red raspberry, cranberry and salted kumquat flavors that collide with copious minerals. The silky mouthfeel and great sense of length really entices. Enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2025-2035- 93
2023 King Estate ‘The Soldier’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2023 ‘The Soldier’s soft and medium-bodied loaded with bright red fruits with slightly sweet chocolate notes. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 89