Today we share a focus on one of the great older producers in the Willamette Valley. Evesham Wood. The winery was founded by Russ Rainey and Mary Raney in 1986. After a comprehensive search throughout the Willamette Valley, they chose a site for the estate vineyard, “Le Puits Sec” (French for “the dry well” which we have in the vineyard). In 1986 Evesham Wood first produced Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, using grapes purchased primarily from Temperance Hill & Seven Springs vineyards. In August 2010, Erin Nuccio and his wife, Jordan, became the owners of Evesham Wood Winery & Le Puits Sec Vineyard.
The new wines were really good. I love their entry level Pinot, the 2023 Evesham Wood ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 91) which has lots of texture and freshness, showing good flavor range. Learn more about these great wines at https://eveshamwood.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Evesham Wood wines.
2023 Evesham Wood ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The excellent 2023 Evesham Wood ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir was sourced from several sites throughout the valley. On the palate this offers tart cranberry and pomegranate seed flavors that mingle well with dried herbs and shades of forest floor. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2022 Evesham Wood ‘Eola-Amity Hills Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 Evesham Wood ‘Eola-Amity Hills Cuvee’ Pinot Noir delivers forward and juicy red cherry and red raspberry flavors on the palate that mingle well with marine soils and shades of tobacco leaf on the palate. Light to medium-bodied, this is delightful stuff to savor now. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2022 Evesham Wood ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2022 ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ comes from this 100-acre site in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The nose is beautifully performed with peat moss and forest floor notes alongside wafts of black truffle and bright red and dark fruits. Medium-bodied and marvelously earthy on the palate, this is a really intriguing rendition of Pinot Noir from this vineyard. Enjoy now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2025-2039- 94
2022 Evesham Wood ‘Mahonia Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Mahonia Vineyard’ comes from this 12-acre site that is farmed at roughly two tons an acre. This shows good power and concentration on the palate, loaded with red and dark fruits, with Shiitake mushroom and Nori accents. Medium-bodied and delicious, showing serious verve, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2040- 94
2022 Evesham Wood ‘Le Puits Sec’ Pinot Noir- A really good bottling from 2022, the ‘Le Puits Sec’ opens with cloves and red cherry compote on the nose with beautiful red florals. The palate is soft and refined with good elegance and a smooth texture. This has both the stuffing and verve to cellar well for another fifteen years. Drink 2025-2037- 93