Ken Wright Cellars 2023 Pinot Noir Guadalupe Vineyard 750ml

Ken Wright has spent more than 40 years building a single guiding philosophy: source is everything. Founded in historic downtown Carlton, Oregon, in 1994 — after moving to McMinnville in 1986 with his family, belongings, and just ten barrels to start Panther Creek Cellars — Ken Wright Cellars now produces single-vineyard Pinot Noir from thirteen distinct sites across the Northern Willamette Valley. Rather than stamping every wine with a house style, Wright treats Pinot Noir as, in his own words, "the ultimate vehicle for conveying the aroma, flavor and texture of the location in which it is grown."

Guadalupe Vineyard, technically within the Dundee Hills AVA though Ken himself believes it belongs in neighboring Yamhill-Carlton — he's even hidden a reference to that appellation on the label — was originally planted in 1989 on a south-facing slope at roughly 350 feet elevation, on classic marine sedimentary soil. The vineyard is now certified organic and farmed using nutrition-based practices, spanning clones 115, Wädenswil, 777, and Pommard. The relationship between Ken Wright Cellars and this specific site runs genuinely deep: after 20 years of "investing in 'brand' Guadalupe," as the winery's own team puts it, owners Kathleen Boeve and Jim Stonebridge offered Ken Wright Cellars the chance to lease the entire vineyard outright — securing Guadalupe as part of their portfolio "for decades to come."

2023 was, in the winery's own words, "a banner year" — very good crop levels, plenty of heat to ripen properly, a long season with extended hang time, and remarkably mild weather that avoided extremes of cold or heat, with only two days over 100 degrees the entire season. The team calls the result "seriously compelling," citing "a beautiful array of aromatics, plush texture, and the frame of acidity." Wine Spectator awarded 94 Points, describing "a distinctive red, with broad shoulders" that "retains a sense of finesse and richness, offering raspberry and guava flavors accented by forest floor, rose petal and black tea notes," finishing "with medium-grained tannins," recommending it be enjoyed "now through 2033." Independent tasters at Wine Swinging, sampling a related vintage of Guadalupe alongside Ken Wright's other single-vineyard bottlings, found the wine's "nose filled with crushed ripe cherries, cherry tar, cherry cola, and southern tea notes" — genuinely distinctive, and many Oregon Pinot Noir lovers consider Guadalupe consistently among Ken Wright's finest bottlings. This is genuinely serious, terroir-driven Oregon Pinot Noir from a site the winery has now fully committed to for the long term.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Ken Wright Cellars was founded in 1994 in Carlton, Oregon, by Ken Wright, who first moved to the Willamette Valley in 1986 to start Panther Creek Cellars, where his focus on vineyard-designate bottling first took root. Ken Wright Cellars now produces single-vineyard Pinot Noir from thirteen distinct sites across the Northern Willamette Valley.

Guadalupe Vineyard, in the Dundee Hills AVA (though Ken Wright himself considers it more characteristic of neighboring Yamhill-Carlton), was planted in 1989 on a south-facing slope at approximately 350 feet elevation, on classic marine sedimentary soil. The vineyard is certified organic, using nutrition-based farming practices, planted to clones 115, Wädenswil, 777, and Pommard, owned by Kathleen Boeve and Jim Stonebridge. Following 20-plus years of partnership, Ken Wright Cellars now leases the entire vineyard outright. Each vineyard block, further separated by clone, is hand-sorted, fermented in small 1¼-ton open vat fermenters until dryness, then pressed and aged separately in 100% French oak barrels for approximately one year.

Critics Reviews

Wine Spectator — 94 Points:
"A distinctive red, with broad shoulders. Yet this retains a sense of finesse and richness, offering raspberry and guava flavors accented by forest floor, rose petal and black tea notes. Finishes with medium-grained tannins." Drink now through 2033.

Ken Wright Cellars (official vintage notes, 2023):
"2023 was a banner year for us. We had very good crop levels, plenty of heat to ripen properly and had a long season with extended hang time. The weather was very mild avoiding extremes of cold or heat. There were no frost scares at the start of the season and only two days at 100 degrees in the entire growing season. All great wine is about balance. This year the beautiful array of aromatics, plush texture and the frame of acidity are seriously compelling."

Wine Swinging (extended independent review, related vintage):
"We loved Guadalupe's nose filled with crushed ripe cherries, cherry tar, and cherry cola, and southern tea notes. After all, it also came from a vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton area."

GRAPE (official tasting note):
"Floral and spice focused. Blue & red fruits of blueberry and raspberry with delicate anise and cola notes. Opulent texture and a luscious mouth feel."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Floral and spice-focused, with crushed ripe cherry and cherry tar leading, joined by cherry cola, southern tea notes, and blueberry, alongside anise.

Palate
Raspberry and guava carry the entry, accented by forest floor, rose petal, and black tea, developing an opulent, luscious texture with plush fruit and delicate cola notes.

Finish
Medium-grained tannins close the wine, framed by a beautiful acidity that keeps the whole experience balanced — a genuinely compelling finish with real cellaring potential through 2033.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Roast duck or squab
• Mushroom-forward dishes
• Grilled salmon
• Earthy, savory braises