Ken Wright AVA Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District
Single-district Oregon Pinot Noir from a legendary producer, elegant, complex, and entirely worth the splurge.
Ken Wright Cellars is synonymous with the Willamette Valley. Since founding his namesake winery in 1994, Ken Wright has become one of Oregon's most celebrated and decorated winemakers, the only Oregon producer designated 'Outstanding' by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and the only Oregon winemaker to grace the cover of Wine Spectator. He was also instrumental in creating the Yamhill-Carlton AVA itself, authoring the federal petition that established the appellation in 2004.
The Yamhill-Carlton bottling draws from multiple exceptional sites within this renowned AVA, where the ancient Willakenzie and Jory soils produce Pinot Noir of notable complexity and mineral depth. The 2022 vintage offers ripe red cherry, red raspberry, cloves, and lavender on the nose, with a medium-bodied palate of fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity, and a long, salty, mineral-laced finish. This is Oregon Pinot at its most textbook, elegant, Burgundian in structure, and completely compelling.
The 2022 Yamhill-Carlton received 93 points from International Wine Report.
Pairs well with: Duck Breast, Salmon, Roasted Chicken, Mushroom Risotto, Pinot-friendly Charcuterie
Oregon Pinot at its finest, the bottle worth opening when you want the conversation to be about the wine.
Product Details
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Bottle Size: 750ml
Producer: Ken Wright Cellars
Country: United States
Region / AVA: Yamhill-Carlton District, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Winemaker: Ken Wright
Soil: Willakenzie and Jory ancient marine sedimentary soils
Farming: Multi-site Yamhill-Carlton AVA; Ken Wright manages vineyards directly
Fermentation: Destemmed (no whole cluster); natural yeasts
Aging: French oak barrels, reduced new oak in recent vintages
Meet The Maker
Ken Wright is one of Oregon's winemaking legends. After discovering the Willamette Valley's potential on a visit to Dundee Hills in 1976, he moved his family there in 1986 and never looked back. He founded Panther Creek Cellars and then Ken Wright Cellars in 1994, pioneering the single-vineyard Pinot Noir model in Oregon. He has received the Wine Spectator Critics' Choice Award eight times, been named 'Master of Pinot Noir in Oregon' by Wine Spectator in 2014, and his Abbott Claim Vineyard Pinot was ranked the world's best wine by Wine Enthusiast magazine. He was also instrumental in establishing the six sub-AVAs of the northern Willamette Valley, cementing his role not just as a winemaker but as an architect of Oregon's wine identity.
Quick Facts
Single-district Oregon Pinot from a legendary producer. Elegant, complex, and entirely worth the splurge.
- Best For: A special dinner, a wine-focused gift, or the evening you want to drink something genuinely great
- Style: Medium-bodied Oregon Pinot Noir
- Tasting Notes: Red cherry, raspberry, clove, and lavender with fine-grained tannins and a mineral, salty finish
- Pairs Well With: Duck Breast, Salmon, Roasted Chicken, Mushroom Risotto, Pinot-friendly Charcuterie
- Body: Medium, elegant, with bright acidity and long finish
- Rating: 93 Points, International Wine Report (2022)
- Fermentation: Natural yeast fermentation; destemmed; French oak aged
- Region: Yamhill-Carlton District, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- Grape: Pinot Noir
- Alcohol: See label
- Serve Temperature: 58-62°F
- Recognitions: Wine Spectator Critics' Choice Award 8x; named 'Master of Pinot Noir' by Wine Spectator; Robert Parker 'Outstanding' designation, only Oregon winery to earn this
Oregon Pinot has a standard-bearer. Ken Wright set it.
Shipping Restrictions
WINE SHIPS ONLY TO THE FOLLOWING STATES: California, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wyoming.
A 21+ signature is required upon delivery.
Orders of 4 bottles or more: Please expect to confirm availability of an adult on premises to sign for your order. We will not ship without email or phone confirmation.
