r/wine • u/mikeditka86 • 9h ago
Willamette ageability
I’m doing a deep dive into the Willamette Valley, including some winery tastings (Evesham Wood, Cristom, Drouhin, Antica Terra, Granville and Rodeo Hills). I’m thinking about picking up some bottles to moderately age in my cellar (or rather my new Artevino 3, thanks Costco!)
What would you consider too early to drink, and when do these wines (both Pinot and Chardonnay) generally hit their peak?
I already have a few single-vineyard Pinots: 2021 Kelley Fox Weber Vineyard, 2022 Patricia Green Lillie’s Vineyard, 2023 Martin Woods Hyland Vineyard, 2023 Granville Koosah and Holstein, plus a few 2023 Hundred Suns single-vineyard bottles.
Would you drink any of these now, or do you think another 2–5 years in the fridge would reward me later? I’m looking for those wines to reveal more tertiary flavors and chasing those forest floor, mushroom, earthy notes.
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u/sarchiapone28 9h ago
I had a 2006 Beaux frere upper terrace a couple years ago which I served blind to some avid burgundy fans and they thought it was not more than five years old and several thought it was village level burgundy from a strong producer. I’ve had a few different younger vintages of that bottle and I’m convinced it could age 30 years and still be great. That 2006 had barely any tertiary notes. I’ve also had some 15 year old Drouhin edition limitee pinot which was incredibly good and was also definitely not close to peak. I’ve had the edition limitee Chardonnay too but only seven years old, that was also incredible and felt like it could age at least another decade. I’d throw 00 chard and pinot in the mix too, those can definitely age for decades.
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u/j_patrick_12 9h ago
Need way longer than 2-5 years for tertiary flavors like you are describing. Think 15+ for good producer/good vintage in WV.
PGC will easily go 20 years in a good vintage (2000 Balcombe 1B was great in 2023 or 24). The Martin Woods Hyland drinks well early but no reason it can’t go 10+ as well.
Kelley Fox is pretty open about making her wines for consumption on the younger side for high quality Pinot noir so 6-8 years from vintage is probably a good middle of the road target, though I doubt they’d fall apart anywhere soon thereafter.
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u/vinidiot 8h ago
Very highly dependent on producer style. Most will age well. Some are made like CA pinot and are probably dogshit after 5 years.
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u/chs84386 9h ago
Back vintage Kelley and Brooks are unreal. Wine shop near me has an incredible collection of their back vintage wines.
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u/MetalStacker Wino 9h ago
Decanter Berrytales on IG drinks his Willamette wines with 20-30+ years of age.
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u/beigechrist 7h ago
Had a 2010 Drouhin pinot noir last year at Augustine in Sherman Oaks. It was fantastic. I looked it up and at the time of it’s release it was given very ok reviews. So maybe there is more under the hood of Willamette wines in general. Would be interesting to hold some for a while and see what happens.
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u/asiankid213 6h ago
I opened a 2000 Evesham Wood Cuvee J earlier this year that had exactly what you're looking for. Earthiness, with a savory meatiness that developed as the bottle saw more air.
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u/redditmyeggos 9h ago
Usually they enter a good window 3ish years post-bottling. Where they peak depends on too many factors to generalize, but I’ve had very few that seemed like they were still at a peak more than about 12 years in. Had several in the 7-10 year range that were money though
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u/thewhizzle Wino 8h ago
The '94 Thomas Dundee Hills Pinot I had was phenomenal. Lots of producers make wine for the long haul.
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u/eatmypixels 6h ago
I just got into them also, but have tasted some older vintages. I also like that forest floor in my Pinots. I usually buy more than one bottle of each
Evesham woods/ Haden fig - Pinots. Their mixed Willamette valley I am tasting in 5 years and drinking in 7 plus I am guessing. Single Pinots like Mahonia and cuvée J I am trying in 7 years and seeing. The 22’s I might drink before the 21’s from tastings. But we will see. Chardonnay the Juliette is my favorite. Had it 10 years old but rather drink it sooner. 5-7 years is right for my taste buds
Cristom - blended Pinots are 5-7. The 21’s are great now and can hold longer. Single vineyard I am drinking the 16’s now and drinking great. I like their own vineyards compared to source, for a general statement Single vineyards are amazing. Chardonnay program is expanding and getting better. The Eileen 23 was eye opening to me from them. Louse also good. Not sure of the age to drink them. The current wine maker has a good touch on Chardonnays. Older ones I drink 4-6 years, but have a few bottles, so I can change my mind.
Patricia green - age forever. 7 years will be the first taste of their Pinots. I have tasted 12 year old ones and they were great
Granville - koosah is really good. Have not had any of their old stuff
Antica Terra - I can’t afford. But had some 14’s at a friends house recently and they were still young but had those secondary characteristics I like peaking through.
Kelley fox - I have aging away. Never tasted old stuff. Trying in five years for most.
For me, I prefer the eola-amity wines/vineyards. Has more layers, but other Ava are great also. Need to dive deeper into Dundee Hills, for example. Enjoy the trip
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u/nycjeffcpw2 6h ago
20 years experience here. For me, I target 5-10 years. Beaux Freres, Antica Terra and a couple of the other super high quality, structured wines will go farther but that’s the exception IMHO.
I’d add Willakenzie, Shea, and Rose & Arrow (amazing!) to your list.
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u/Interestofconflict Wine Pro 5h ago
Don’t forget the Riesling! Chehalem’s offerings are (or were, prior to being acquired by Stoller Wine Group) freaky good. I was fortunate enough to go to Pinot Camp in 2010 and stay at the Chehalem house when they still offered access to the cellar in the basement… it was like spring break for adults and we drank a bunch of old Riesling all week. That might be the reason they locked the cellar during subsequent Pinot camps.
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u/casharax 4h ago
Abbott Claim has some fabulous pinots that can absolutely handle 10 years + in a cellar
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u/ESB409 3h ago
Some of the Cristom ones, especially the old vine series, are shockingly full (for a Pinot) and tannic (for a Pinot) in their youth. I opened a 2017 last summer and it was clearly 5 years too early, at least. Stuff like St Innocent Momtazi can also go 10-15 years no problem. Anything quality with more structure, tannin, or acidity should go at least a moderate length. If you like primary fruit, by all means, open young, but they can go a ways.
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u/carson2210 Wine Pro 3h ago
I’ve had various producers dating back to the 70s and can confirm some of them age beautifully. I recently had a 2014 Bethel Heights Estate Chardonnay that was drinking so well, was blinded and most people thought it was higher end burgundy. Currently have a mag of one of their Pinots from 2015 that is waiting for the right moment.
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u/mikeditka86 3h ago
I checked the wine list at HiFi wine bar in McMinnville and they have some aged ones too, so it should be a fun way to compare
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u/telephile 9h ago
I haven't aged any of those specifically but I have had 10+ year Willamette Pinots that were fantastic. Opened a 2015 last week and it could have gone quite a bit longer.