Over a career that began in 1985 and that has spanned three decades, Ken has successfully endeavored, along with like-minded winemakers, to create various sub-appellations within the Willamette Valley due to their unique geology. He has bottled and promoted single-vineyard wines in an effort to showcase the distinct characteristics of each appellation as well as specific vineyards. This dedication to geology has been a worthwhile endeavor in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The incredible complexity of the soils found there are millennia in the making. Lava eruption, the Missoula Floods and shifting tectonic plates over this small pocket of the world’s crazed geological history makes the terroir irreplicable and offers a vast array of distinct vineyards, which inevitably translates to surprisingly different flavor profiles in the wine. This devotion to terroir on American soil has garnered Ken a cult following among restaurateurs, his peers, wine geeks and sommeliers alike. Many of Ken’s practices harken back to centuries-old wisdom rooted in Burgundy. However, it’s been the application of that knowledge in Oregon coupled with Ken’s selfless dedication that has earned him the well-deserved, monumental reputation he enjoys today.

 

Although Ken believes that great wine is made in the vineyard, he is just as meticulous and quality-driven in the cellar. Utilizing dry ice for temperature control during crush, Ken also revolutionized line sorting in Oregon to ascertain that his wine was getting only the very best fruit. A traditionalist at heart, he ages his wines in predominantly neutral French oak, as is traditional in Burgundy, which allows the most nuanced aspects of the Pinot Noir varietal to truly shine. In the vineyards, he embraces nutrition-based farming, which focuses on the soil’s biological life. Ken even goes so far as to introduce natural and living microbial elements when life in the vineyards isn’t thriving; this has brought certain vineyards of vast potential but poor performance back to life and kept great vineyards thriving over the years. Derived from Abbott Claim, Canary Hill, Carter, Freedom Hill, Guadalupe, McCrone, Meredith Mitchell, Nysa and Savoya vineyards, this bottling is the perfect introduction to one of Oregon’s most legendary producers and a classic snapshot into Oregon’s style. Although the blockbuster 2012 and 2014 vintages have been lauded for their extraction and richness of fruit, Willamette’s 2013 vintage is a more restrained expression of the varietal that is true to the grape’s Burgundian roots. The slightly cooler growing season and perfect weather conditions aligned to deliver a vintage of nuance, finesse and perfect balance that only the greatest vintages can deliver.