92pts James Suckling

Aromas of dried cherries and herbs lead to a palate of cherries and raspberries with hints of spices. A balanced, medium-bodied wine with smooth tannins and a seductive finish. Starting in 2018, production of this wine was cut in half to bring more of the single-block vineyards into the blend to provide a better representation of the estate. Drink or hold.

90pts Wine Spectator

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvee pours a deep ruby-purple hue and offers aromas of ripe red and black berries, dusty earth, and pine. Generous and rounded in its fruit, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a supple texture, sweet tannins, and notes of mocha on the finish.

90pts Jeb Dunnuck

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvee pours a deep ruby-purple hue and offers aromas of ripe red and black berries, dusty earth, and pine. Generous and rounded in its fruit, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a supple texture, sweet tannins, and notes of mocha on the finish. It is a nice lens into the estate's ripe style to enjoy over the next few years.

Winemaker Notes

This expressive wine offers aromas of raspberry tea, black cherry, dried rose petal, cocoa powder and a lovely, terroir-driven savory character. Those aromas and flavors carry through onto a rich and sumptuous palate that is defined by beautiful, refined tannins and great length.

Winery Notes

WillaKenzie Estate is located in Oregon's Willamette Valley on rolling hillsides in the Chehalem Mountains. The winery was named after the Willakenzie soil on which the vineyards are planted to convey the influence that the soil imparts on the wine's flavors and aromas. The vineyards are planted with grapes of the Pinot family, mostly new Dijon clones of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from Alsace. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are cool climate grapes, which are particularly well adapted to Oregon. As winemaker for WillaKenzie Estate, the acclaimed producer of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, Erik Kramer leads all winemaking and cellar operations. He has been working in Oregon’s Willamette Valley since 2004, where he has built a reputation for world-class wines of finesse and balance. A scientist by training, Erik worked as a hydrogeologist in the petrochemical industry before combining his passion for science and appreciation for fine wine into a career.