PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Carter Vineyard represents one of Ken Wright Cellars' longest and most personal relationships — planted in 1983 and first contracted by Ken Wright in 1990, the same landmark vintage that produced legendary wines across Oregon, Germany, Champagne, Burgundy, and Italy. What began as a simple acreage agreement with owners Jack and Kathleen Carter deepened by the end of the decade, when Ken Wright Cellars took over farming the site directly. As the winery's own team puts it, "for 25 years, we have loved this site and have promoted it as if it were our own" — a relationship so genuine that vineyard managers Mark and Seth both held their weddings there. Recently, Jack and Kathleen approached Ken Wright Cellars about purchasing the vineyard outright, a fitting conclusion to more than three decades of shared stewardship.
Carter sits in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, and has developed a genuinely distinctive reputation across vintages for what Wine-Searcher's aggregated critic coverage repeatedly calls "a taste of steel or gun metal running through the spine" — a signature mineral character that shows up consistently, vintage after vintage, alongside compact fruit and real structural tannin. Wine Enthusiast's review of the 2023 vintage specifically found "Carter's red raspberry and lemon zest aromas" melding "with a dusty talc note," describing "the lighter-bodied wine's mouthfeel" as "airy," its "acidity bright," with fruit flavors ranging "from tart pie cherries to a sweet, ripe raspberry note that lingers in the background," rounded out by "black tea and oak spices."
Ken's Wine Guide's independent tasting found the wine opening "with a cinnamon and black cherry bouquet with hints of clove and Bazooka gum," developing on the palate into "a red currant and gentle graphite blend with notes of green tea and cinnamon," with "hints of pomegranate and a touch of blueberry at the very end," concluding the wine is "sophisticated" enough to pair with filet mignon. Ken Wright Cellars' own winemaker notes describe the 2023 as "blue and black fruit focused — black cherry, currant and ripe blueberry" meeting "hints of maple, toasted vanilla, and jasmine," calling it "playful on the palate with bright acidity and balanced tannin." This is genuinely distinctive, mineral-driven Willamette Valley Pinot Noir from a site with more than three decades of committed, hands-on stewardship behind it.
Ken Wright Cellars produces single-vineyard Pinot Noir from thirteen distinct sites across the Northern Willamette Valley, treating Pinot Noir as, in the winery's own words, "the ultimate vehicle for conveying the aroma, flavor and texture of the location in which it is grown," rather than stamping every wine with a house style.
Carter Vineyard, in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, was planted in 1983. Ken Wright Cellars' relationship with owners Jack and Kathleen Carter began in 1990 as a simple acreage contract, evolving by the late 1990s into direct vineyard management by Ken Wright Cellars. Recently, the Carters approached Ken Wright Cellars about purchasing the vineyard outright, following 25-plus years of close collaboration.
Wine Spectator — 94 Points:
"Tart pomegranate seed and red currant flavors mingle well with diatomaceous earth and its refined texture, with umami accents. Full-bodied and rich, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years." Drink 2024-2036.
James Suckling — 92 Points
Ken's Wine Guide — 93.5 Points:
"This clear and dark red colored Pinot Noir from Ken Wright opens with a cinnamon and black cherry bouquet with hints of clove and Bazooka gum. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, smooth, and delicate. The flavor profile is a red currant and gentle graphite blend with notes of green tea and cinnamon. I also detected hints of pomegranate and a touch of blueberry at the very end. The finish is dry, and its flavors, acidity, and refined tannins drift away nicely. I would pair this sophisticated Pinot Noir with filet mignon."
Ken Wright Cellars (official winemaker's notes, 2023 vintage):
"Blue and black fruit focused — black cherry, currant and ripe blueberry are met with hints of maple, toasted vanilla, and jasmine. Playful on the palate with bright acidity and balanced tannin."
Wine-Searcher (aggregated critic context, house-style across vintages):
"The defining characteristic of Carter seems to be a taste of steel or gun metal running through the spine. It's here again, with compact fruit and drying tannins. That fruit has a dark core, and it's polished and textural, with lightly herbal highlights. This is a wine to track in the cellar over the next decade or longer."
Nose
Red raspberry and lemon zest lead, meeting a dusty talc note, alongside cinnamon, black cherry, clove, and toasted vanilla, with hints of jasmine.
Palate
Lighter-bodied and airy, with bright acidity carrying tart pie cherry and sweet ripe raspberry, developing red currant, graphite, and green tea, alongside black cherry, currant, and ripe blueberry.
Finish
Dry and refined, closing with black tea, oak spice, pomegranate, and a touch of blueberry — genuinely bright and mineral-driven, with real cellaring potential.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon |
| Variety | 100% Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Producer | Ken Wright Cellars |
| Vineyard | Carter Vineyard — planted 1983 |
| Relationship History | Contracted since 1990; farmed by Ken Wright Cellars since the late 1990s |
| Critics | Wine Enthusiast reviewed |
| Style / Identity | A bright, airy, mineral/steel-driven single-vineyard Pinot Noir — a signature character across vintages |
| Aromas & Flavors | Red raspberry, lemon zest, black cherry, red currant, graphite, green tea |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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