Sitting Pretty: Oregon's New Release Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Beyond

BY ERIC GUIDO | JANUARY 18, 2024

It’s incredible to think that even with all the expansion of vineyards and wineries within Oregon, the region has untapped potential that remains ripe for future development. Somehow, as California and Washington have pushed the limits of exposing terroir, in Oregon, there are not only new and unique locations being discovered within the larger AVAs and sub-AVAs, but also new sites throughout the state that are being developed. The reality is that an aspiring winemaker with the right investors and a good nose for terroir can still secure uncultivated land here and begin planting vineyards at a reasonable cost. 

Looking out across the Seven Springs vineyard.

Many producers will explain that global warming was a more significant help than a hindrance in Oregon. I think back to over a decade ago when seasons started warming. While some producers lamented not being able to reproduce the wines that had made the region famous with more Euro-centric palates, others were over the moon to be making wines that were widely appealing to consumers. There were growing pains in the end, but winemakers found a new balance by adjusting their approach in the vineyards and wineries. In 2022, my predecessor, whom we all miss dearly, Josh Raynolds, wrote, “One could convincingly argue that the last six vintages, from 2014 through 2019, produced many of the greatest wines to ever emerge from the state.” Frankly, I couldn’t agree more, and now, except for the 2020 vintage, Oregon pushes forward with three good to potentially great years in the form of 2021, 2022 and 2023. 

Moreover, while I’ve witnessed other winemaking regions break down their larger growing regions into sub-AVAs that don’t always communicate a stamp of terroir, the breakdown of Oregon’s Willamette Valley was expertly executed. Today, the names Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton (which were the first to be delineated in the early 2000s) are proudly emblazoned on the front labels of many wines and can provide consumers insights into what to generally expect from the bottle. More recently, they’ve added the Van Duzer Corridor, Tualatin Hills, Laurelwood District, Lower Long Tom and Mount Pisgah, Polk County, all incredibly unique and worth exploring.

The Domaine Serene vineyards in the Dundee Hills.

Coming Full Circle

When a consumer thinks of Oregon, Pinot Noir comes to mind first. However, the industry got its start with both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while it was the latter that won Oregon its fame and became the region's primary focus. As a result, Chardonnay was very much pushed to the side, and when replanting took place, it was Pinot that was prioritized. Through it all, Chardonnay was waiting in the wings and is now making a significant impact on the region. While Pinot Noir isn’t going anywhere and continues to enjoy its reign as the most widely produced variety in the state, Chardonnay has been growing by leaps and bounds. A combination of more and more growers looking to expose the best sights to plant Chardonnay and a better understanding of the ideal clones to grow has sent quality levels through the roof. As a result, wineries like Morgen Long, Walter Scott, Goodfellow Family Cellars and 00 Wines have been able to take single-vineyard Oregon Chardonnay to new heights, inspiring many others to follow suit. Granted, in a report that contains over 900 wines, Pinot Noir still totals over 520 reviews, while Chardonnay only comes in around 182. However, I feel that we will witness a balancing of those scales in the years to come. That said, Pinot Noir is the pride of Oregon, and a look through just about any winemaker's portfolio will reveal multiple single-vineyard bottles, clonal selection bottlings, a prestige label and a larger production AVA bottling, which usually provides consumers with the best bang for their buck. 

However, it’s not just about Pinot Noir and Chardonnay any longer, and this is where Oregon's diversity and unexposed terroirs are also coming into play. I’ve found several exciting Rieslings and Gruner Veltliners. I believe there’s a massive potential for growth in these two categories, especially as cooler and well-ventilated locations are being developed. I hope to see many more of these in future tastings as both interest in the varieties and locations to source from increase. Plenty of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier are also being made, but not many of them truly moved the needle for me. Then there are the reds: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, and one of my favorites, Gamay Noir. I wish there was more to go around. For my tastes, Gamay is often to Oregon Pinot what cru Beaujolais is to Red Burgundy.