xElite Burgundy, but from Oregon...

Without a doubt, Oregon’s Willamette Valley is one of the buzziest wine regions in the world right now. Long known for silky, textured pinot noirs, producers are finally making a truly compelling statement with pinot’s stablemate, chardonnay. There’s certainly an undeniable influence of Burgundy here, drawn in by the promise of a new world analogue (ranging from early investments by the Drouhin family, to the more recent appearances of Dominique Lafon and Louis-Michel Liger-Belair), but there are immense home-grown talents as well. Leading the pack are Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon of Walter Scott. In a decade and a half, they’ve risen to become one of the best producers of Burgundian varietals in the world. The newest releases from the epic 2021 vintage will further cement their elite status – reviews are rolling in, and they're strong! These just landed, so get your orders in quickly (they disappear fast) – quantities are extremely limited.

 

My Top Wines:
2021 Walter Scott Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard 750ml – 96-98 WA
2021 Walter Scott Chardonnay X-Novo Vineyard 750ml – 96-98 JD
2021 Walter Scott Pinot Noir Koosah Farm 750ml – 94-96 WA

 

That these wines would have a meteoric rise was never in doubt, given the drive, talent, and passion of the owners. The Burgundy-loving pair has moved from strength to strength throughout their careers, walking diversified paths, including stints in top restaurants and wine sales, and learning from the best in the industry. They sunk their savings into grapes and winemaking equipment in 2008 and never looked back. Today, they operate in a cellar situated in the Eola-Amity Hills, nestled among the vines of the Justice Vineyard, owned by the Casteel Family of Bethel Heights Winery. Total production is around 5,000 cases a year, mostly drawn from dry-farmed sites within this sub-appellation. In the vineyard, yields are restricted by pruning short in winter, while harvests are generally early, picked with an eye towards fresh acids and complex fruit flavors. At the winery, destemmed fruit is favored, before fermenting naturally in large format oak, with about a third new. The chards, which are usually full malo, are finished in steel to refresh and add focus. Precision and elegance are the house style, which these wines have in spades. The aim is to be transparent to the site and allow its pristine fruit to shine. 

 

Freedom Hill is one of the older vineyards in the lineup. When it was planted in 1981 it was the first in the area, which now falls under the newly minted Mt. Pisgah – Polk County AVA. Ancient marine sedimentary soils and a less windy, warmer microclimate are part of the region’s distinctiveness. The couple now works with two blocks of structured, savory pinot and three of intense, saline chard hailing from the southeast sloping site. Justice Vineyard is a more recent addition over the last few vintages, and is one of the smaller production wines. The Casteels planted it in 1999 with the best-performing clones and rootstocks; it sits directly in the path of the Van Duzer winds - the fruit ripens very slowly and develops deep flavors bound to an electric acidity. Lift and aromatics are hallmarks, a commonality between the concentrated chard and brooding pinot. Koosah Vineyard is the newest to the lineup, 2021 marking its first release. It’s a steep-sloped, rocky, and dramatic site, sitting between 700-1,100 feet at the crest of the Eola-Amity Hills. Vines are part of a polyculture farm that also encompasses orchards and oak savannah pastures, all tended according to permaculture principles and enlivened with compost teas. Unsurprisingly, the wines from the vineyard are energetic and powerful, complex with detailed fruit and fine acidity - it is sure to be a star going forward. X-Novo is another stunner and perhaps one of the finest sites in the entire valley. Densely planted in 2010 by Craig Williams (longtime winemaker at Joseph Phelps), this rocky site has incredible diversity, with blocks boasting 15 interplanted clones of pinot and 20 of chard. The wines have an amazing balance of great intensity and weightlessness, with a striking freshness. Their coolest site is the Sojeau Vineyard, at the southern end of the appellation. Vines are at 650 feet of elevation, planted in volcanic clay. Sophisticated, earthy, and dark-robed, the fruit brims with spice and fine tannins. 

 

While the single vineyard wines have garnered the lion’s share of attention, Ken and Erica show a deft hand at blending as well. You need look no further than the late release 2019 Bacocho Pinot, with fruit coming from two of Willamette’s most iconic sites: Temperance Hill and Seven Springs. Monumental in stature, and built for the long haul, it shows its breeding with dense, powerful fruit, seamlessly integrated with complex spices, and long, polished tannins. Less serious, but no less seriously made, is the pair’s first release of their Passetoutgrains, a field blend of pinot and gamay common in Burgundy before gamay was banished by edict. Here, biodynamic grapes from Arlyn Vineyard are co-fermented (20% whole cluster) for a bright, pure wine, grounded by fresh acids, easy tannins, and earthy minerality.

 

Stylish, transportive, and uncompromising, the wines of Walter Scott continue to mesmerize year after year. Whether you’re already a fan or haven’t yet had the pleasure, this is the time to dive into the deep end!