2022 White Rose Estate Epicurean: Heavy Pinot Noir

White Rose Estate is on the upper elevations of the Dundee Hills, just up a gravel road from some of Willamette Valley’s most venerable wine producers, including Archery Summit and Domain Drouhin. White Rose was founded in 2000 when Greg Sanders purchased the 10-acre White Rose Vineyard, one of Oregon’s oldest and most renowned vineyards. Sanders had been an entrepreneur in the aerospace industry when, in 1995, he started taking viticulture courses at UC Davis. The White Rose Vineyard was planted to Pinot Noir in 1980, and over the years it was a source for premium grapes for Torii Mor, Panther Creek and St. Innocent. Sanders produced his first commercial vintage inn 2001. In 2009 Sanders purchased an additional four acres. Jesus Guillén has been head winemaker since 2008. White Rose focuses on Pinot Noir. Wine writers have been complimentary, often rating the wines in the mid- to high 90s. Wine Advocate wrote “Old vines, low yields, and a willingness to stretch the envelope have made White Rose Estate one of the premier producers of American Pinot Noir.”

Willamette Valley AVA was established in 1983, and it is the oldest appellation in Oregon. Oregon’s modern wine industry began in the Willamette Valley in the 1960s when artists, vagabond winemakers, and U.C. Davis oenology graduates looking for new territory started their own, small, off-the-grid wineries. The appellation is the state’s largest, and it extends 175 miles from Columbia River on the Washington/Oregon border to just south of Eugene, near central Oregon. The Willamette River runs through the area, helping to give the appellation a mild year-round climate. There are six smaller sub-appellations within this AVA, but altogether the Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries in Oregon, as well as the majority of the state’s most famous producers. Pinot Noir is king here, followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. To most admirers of Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley offers the most distinctive wine choices in the state.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.