The 2020 Estate Pinot Noir expresses the terroir of estate vineyards — the original planting by Founder Jim Bernau at the winery in the Salem Hills, Tualatin Estate planted by Oregon wine pioneer Bill Fuller in the foothills of the Coastal Range and Elton planted by Dick and Betty O'Brien on the east face of the Eola-Amity Hills.

Accolades:
91 points - Wine Enthusiast
92 points & Gold Medal - Savor Northwest
90 points - James Suckling

Sourced exclusively from 15 acres of Pinot Noir from the first plantings at the Estate Vineyard, Founder Jim Bernau planted these vines using a Christmas tree planter pulled behind his 33 horsepower tractor. He grafted the French clones 667 and 777 on a portion of the vines when they became available.

The 2018 vintage is our inaugural release of the Bernau Estate Pinot Noir. This single vineyard designate from our Bernau Estate Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. Named in honor of our Founder Jim Bernau, Bernau Estate is the future home of our méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine facility.

Accolades:
93 points - James Suckling

Sourced from old vine plantings at our Elton Vineyard, founded in 1983 by Dick and Betty O’Brien, on the east-southeast slopes of the Eola-Amity Hills.

The wine expresses beautiful movement and dark fruit flavors of blackberry, currant and plum accented by minerality, cedar, anise and bergamot. The wine features a broad palate, velvety tannins, balancing acidity and lingering finish.

Accolades:
90 points - Wine Enthusiast

Tualatin Estate Vineyard rests in the foothills of the Oregon Coast range and is one of the oldest plantings in Oregon, planted in 1973 by Oregon wine pioneer Bill Fuller, and now in the newly approved Tualatin Hills AVA. The unique Laurelwood soil profile at the Tualatin Estate Vineyard contributes to the complex nature of the wines.

Cuvée translates to Vintner’s Choice. This wine was specially blended from barrel lots from our AVA Series vineyard sites to create a wine displaying the uniqueness of the individual appellations, while coming together to showcase Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

— Wine Club & Owner Exclusive —

An illustration of the art of blending, Signature Cuvée is our Winemaker's selection from the finest barrels sourced from our Estate, Elton and Tualatin Estate Vineyards. With site driven diversity, we are able to craft this wine to our precise and quality standards.

Accolades:
90 points - Wine Enthusiast

Willamette Valley Vineyards was established in 1983 by a dedicated group of wine enthusiasts committed to producing among the highest quality Pinot Noirs while being good stewards of the land. As a tribute to these individuals, we have created this special blend of Pinot Noir.

Certified Vegan

— Wine Club & Owner Exclusive —

Named after the owner’s daughter, Hannah Vineyard is adjacent to our Tualatin Estate Vineyard in the foothills of the Coastal Mountain Range and is protected by a rain shadow, making it warmer than the rest of the Willamette Valley.

Years ago, Founder Jim Bernau began experimenting with Pinot Noir by gently dropping hand-picked whole clusters in a chilled stainless fermenter, pushing all the oxygen out with CO2 and sealing the vessel tight. What happened next was magical — the berries started to swell and turn pink. When they burst, they released the most aromatic, fermenting Pinot Noir.

The stylistic vision of this wine captures pure Pinot Noir fruit with beautiful depth and structure through whole cluster fermentation and carbonic maceration. The wine is balanced, refreshing and versatile for countless food pairings.

Sourced from our sustainably-farmed Elton and Tualatin Estate Vineyards, the grapes were gently whole cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel to deliver expressive aromas and flavors with a crisp, dry finish.

Accolades:
92 points - James Suckling

This inaugural vintage is crafted using méthode traditionnelle and sourced from estate-grown Pinot Noir. The wine was aged for seven months in neutral barrel and stainless steel, then aged 23 months on its lees to develop added complexity before being disgorged.

This special wine was developed years ago by our late winemaker, Forrest Klaffke. Founder Jim Bernau loved to end his winery tours with a tasting of this wine from the barrel, but Forrest complained that he was giving away too much of this precious, limited-production wine. In an attempt to deter Jim, Forrest locked the Pinot Noir Port barrels away and wore the key around his neck. The day before his passing, he gave the key to Jim. Since then, we have continued to make this wine according to Forrest's methods and bottle it with the original vintage label design.