The Willamette Valley’s WillaKenzie Estate: Current Pinot Noir Releases

WillaKenzie is a particularly diverse wine estate with vineyard elevations ranging from 302 to 734 feet and varied aspects.  This diversity combined with Pinot Noir’s capacity for reflecting its terroir provide the rationale for WillaKenzie’s single vineyard bottlings, several of which we recently tasted at the winery in the Yamhill-Carlton sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley.  Ronni Lacroute, who originally co-owned and helped develop WillaKenzie (it was sold to the Jackson Family in 2016), said, “You’d be amazed how distinctively different the lots are.  It’s all about the sense of place, the site-specific character, that is so important to Pinot Noir.” The Jackson Family, which purchased WillaKenzie in 2016, and winemaker Erik Kramer continue to make Pinot Noir wines that express their unique terroir.

WillaKenzie’s soils are mostly a loamy, sedimentary type called WillaKenzie (the same name as the estate) comprised of colluvium, sandstone and siltstone of marine origin. The only exception is the low-lying Terres Basses parcel, which has sediments of glacial origin dating back to the Missoula floods.

The 430-acre WillaKenzie estate was purchased by Bernard, a native of Burgundy, and Ronni Lacroute in 1991, and about 100 acres were planted to Pinot Noir. The first wines were released in 1995, and eventually they made several single vineyard Pinot Noirs, which continue to be produced under the current Jackson Family ownership. In the late 1990s, WillaKenzie became the first LIVE-certified winery in the Willamette Valley.

With the change in ownership, Erik Kramer came on board as winemaker. Erik did postgraduate work in enology and viticulture at New Zealand’s Lincoln University and has made wine in New Zealand and at Adelsheim and Domaine Serene in Oregon before joining WillaKenzie.  In some ways, his skills are most evident in the blending of the Estate Pinot Noir, which is a blend of the estate’s different vineyards.  The blend differs depending on vintage.  The 2018’s largest component was the Kiana vineyard, while Triple Black Slopes led the way in 2019.  The 2021, reviewed below, is an exceptionally good blend.

In a given vintage, winemaking is consistent across vineyard parcels so each site can speak for itself, but the vintage to vintage variations in the Willamette Valley require different approaches in the vineyard and the winery depending on the vintage.  In a cool one like 2022 Erik backs off on extraction to avoid green/edgy tannins, while in a warm vintage like 2023 he can be more aggressive with extraction because the tannins are so ripe. Erik states that his goal is to create wines of finesse; our tasting shows he succeeds in that.

Vineyard Blends

WillaKenzie 2019 Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton ($55) 92 Medium ruby red. The nose reveals a melange of berries, cherries, and roiboos tea. The palate is medium weight and easy drinking with a suave texture leading to a long, more savory finish. A vineyard blend, hand picked, destemmed and matured in about 50% new French barriques. pH 3.63, 13.9% alc.

WillaKenzie 2021 Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton ($55) 94 Medium red. Intricate bouquet of rose petals interwoven with raspberry and tea leaves. Medium weight palate, mouth filling with savory notes that complement abundant quantities of fresh, sappy fruit. The 2021 vintage sings in this harmonious Pinot. Aged 15 months in 49% new French oak. Bottled unfiltered. pH 3.61, 14.2% alc.

Single Vineyard Bottlings

WillaKenzie 2018 Emery Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton  93 Reflecting the dry, hot vintage, the 2018 Emery reveals dark fruit complemented by cured tobacco and earth notes that are mirrored on the savory, dark fruited palate. Still firmly tannic 5 years after the vintage. Give it a couple more years before opening.

WillaKenzie 2018 Kiana Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton 95 Intense bouquet of wild dark cherry, brambles and hint of cola. Softly textured, refined palate with excellent precision and flavors of red and dark red fruit complemented by light earthy notes. integrated, juicy acidity finishing with fine round tannins. Sourced from the Kiana Vineyard, a relatively flat (460-570?), south-facing site of mostly 114 and 943 clones planted in 1996. 14.2% alc.

WillaKenzie 2018 Terres Basses Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton ($75) 93  Medium dark red. A big, broad-shouldered Pinot Noir, the Terre Basse reveals dark red fruit with notes of underbrush and lavender. Smoothly textured on a mouth filling palate. All 115 clone sourced from the estate’s lowest elevation site at 320-390? with deep, poorly drained clay soils called Hazelair, the only non-Willakenzie soils on the estate vineyards. Matured 18 months in 50% new French oak. pH 3.57, 14.5% alc.

WillaKenzie 2018 Triple Black Slopes Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton 95 Being the darkest, earthiest WillaKenzie Pinot Noir, the Triple Black Slopes is appropriately named. It reveals aromas and flavors of dark fruit, loamy earth and spice. Finishes with impressive length and firm, velvet coated tannins. Sourced from the Triple Black Slopes, a very steep, southwest facing, hillside vineyard planted to clones 114, 667  and 777. Matured 18 months in 60% new French oak.  pH 3.66, 14.4% alc.

WillaKenzie 2019 Emery Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton ($75) 95 Medium ruby red. Opening with a brambly nose of raspberries and pomegranate, this is one of the winery’s most refined wines.  Cooler than 2018, the  wine is more red fruited; texturally, it’s   precise and pure with a silky mouth feel. Finishes long with well-knit, gracious tannins. A mix of 667, 777, and Pommard clones sourced from the estate’s highest (740?) vineyard.  Aged 17 months in 50% new French oak. pH 3.62, 13,9% alc.

WillaKenzie 2021 Alliette Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton 96 Medium dark red. The Alliette offers an enticing purity of wild berry aromas. It’s supple and juicy on an engaging, impressively full and densely flavored palate. A youthful wine that should evolve beautifully over time. Predominantly the Pommard clone with some Wadenswil sourced from an east facing, 600? site with good protection from the winds. Named after Bernard Lacroute’s mother, Alliette is the first vineyard planted at WillaKenzie in 1992. Matured 15 months in 44% new French oak.  pH 3.61, 14.3% alc.

WillaKenzie 2021 Clairière Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton 95 Opens with deep dark berry fruit and floral aromas. The palate is vibrant and particularly savory with a rich core of earth, cola, and dark red fruit. Finishes long with sweet, broad tannins. Sourced from a relative flat and cool site with vines grafted to the 667 clone. A gorgeous Pinot Noir with a distinctive varietal character. Sees 15 months in 57% new French oak. pH 3.61, 14.1% alc.