The 2022 Pinot Blanc is bursting with fruit flavors of green apple, freshly squeezed lemon, and pear.
Honeysuckle, mint and lemongrass intertwine on this palate, leading to a lively, refreshing finish.
Vineyard: Freedom Hill. In 1982, Dan and Helen Ducher, a couple interested in wine growing, first planted grapes on this property.
Kenwright has been purchasing their grapes since their first harvest in 1985 and their first winemaking in 1986, and has developed a family-oriented relationship with them.
The fields are located on a gentle slope northwest of Salem and southeast of the town of Dallas.
The soil, which is formed by uplifted seabed deposits and lies at an altitude of 170 to 183 meters, is generally considered to be one of the oldest in the region.
The wines produced from this vineyard have a very strong structure and are expected to age well.
This area was also applied for as the Mount Pisgah AVA in 2020, and was recognized as the Mount Pisgah Polk County Oregon AVA in 2022.
2022 has been a miraculous vintage for Ken Wright Cellars.
Mother Nature continues to amaze us.
The first miracle was a record-breaking harvest, even though a record-late cold front caused significant damage to new shoots and called into question whether there would be any harvestable fruit.
The second miracle was that harvest season ended in one of the driest and warmest Octobers we've ever known.
Ken Wright was Oregon's first to be featured on the cover of Wine Spectator in 2015 with a nine-page profile highlighting his achievements in the Oregon Pinot Noir industry and his local philanthropic work.
Specializing in single vineyard wines, his wines have been praised around the world for 40 years.
The Pinot Noir variety is unlike any other food or drink we know, and it has an incredible power to connect us to the fields and the earth.
Ken says it's like a blank canvas, allowing the grapes to absorb and express the aromas and flavors of each land.
Ken was the first to advocate that not all Willamette Valley AVAs were the same, and that they needed to be subdivided and have sub-AVAs established.
Without Ken Wright, Oregon Pinot Noir would not be as unique as it is today.
Ken also clearly explains the relationship between the characteristics of Pinot Noir and the soil, stating that Pinots grown on marine sedimentary soils tend to produce floral and spice-focused wines, while those grown on volcanic sedimentary soils tend to produce wines with a more fruity flavor.