From the ancient marine sediments of Yamhill-Carlton, the 2022 Pinot Noir from Ken Wright Cellars is a focused and savory expression of place. Born from a vintage that tested the limits of the Willamette Valley, this wine transforms challenge into grace, delivering depth, precision, and a silken texture that reflects both vineyard and vintage.
Taste
The nose is layered with strawberry, cranberry, and fresh fig, mingling with sandalwood, soft leather, and freshly turned earth. On the palate, the fruit is brooding yet lifted, framed by floral and spice notes that unfold with elegance. Silky tannins glide through the finish, leaving a lasting impression of finesse and quiet power.
About the Winery/Winemaker
Since founding Ken Wright Cellars in 1994, Ken Wright has become one of Oregon’s most respected voices for terroir-driven Pinot Noir. His philosophy is simple but unwavering: allow each vineyard to speak for itself. With meticulous farming, organic certification, and small-lot vinification, Ken crafts wines that honor the character of place. The Yamhill-Carlton vineyards, with their ancient marine sedimentary soils, produce wines of structure, depth, and a savory, spice-driven core—hallmarks of the region and of Ken’s enduring legacy.
Why We Love It
This Pinot captures the essence of Yamhill-Carlton: earthy, savory, and beautifully textural. The 2022 vintage was shaped by adversity, yet yielded fruit of surprising balance and concentration. The result is a wine that marries restraint with intensity, approachable now but destined to reveal new layers with time in bottle.
Technical Wine Notes
Origin: Yamhill-Carlton AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Year Planted / Acreage: 2010, 2014, 2020, 2023 | 40 acres planted
Spacing: 7 x 5 ft. | 1,244 vines/acre
Elevation & Aspect: 400–450 ft., east-southeast facing
Clones & Rootstock: 777, Wadenswil, 667, Pommard, 76 & 177 | Riparia Gloire rootstock
Mother Rock: Ancient marine sediments
Soil Series: Willakenzie and Wellsdale
Farming: Certified organic, nutrition-based farming
Fermentation & Aging: 10–11 months in French oak barrels (20% new)
Vintage: 2022 (late bud break, record fertility, warm dry October)
Alcohol: 12.5%
pH: 3.69
TA: 5.3 g/L
Production: 545 six-pack cases
Style: Savory, spice-focused, silky, and terroir-driven
