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 Located in rural Carlton, Oregon, Ken Wright Cellars is devoted to showcasing the inherent quality of selected vineyard sites. Well over twenty years of winemaking have taught a simple truth. Source is everything. When you work with sites that have a “ton” of character, great things can happen. With a clarity and breadth that is unequaled by other varieties,
they believe Pinot noir best expresses the character of these sites. Rather than stamping wine with a varietal trademark,
they see Pinot noir as a vehicle for conveying the aroma, flavor and texture of the location in which it is grown. These great things cannot happen without a commitment by the vineyard owner to the health of the vineyard and extremely low crop levels that ensure intensity of aroma, flavor and texture.
Ken Wright’s name is synonymous with Oregon Pinot Noir. He is an authority and a philosopher on the growing and making of wine. Essentially, Ken and other viticulturists and vintners are just facilitators of what nature has provided. This is a slightly different tact to the, “If you build it, they will come” mantra. He advocates restricting crop yields per acre to achieve the grape’s intensity that imbues his wines. There’s more mumbo jumbo in his winemaking craft but that’s it in a nutshell.
 Ken Wright Pinot Noir
More than any other variety, Pinot noir has very specific climatic needs. While other varieties can adapt to variable conditions, Pinot noir can be rather finicky, achieving success in only a handful of places in the world.
Nestled between the lower elevation Coast Range to our west, and higher elevation Cascade Range to our east, the Northern Willamette Valley is one of those very special places where Pinot noir excels. By worldwide standards, we are extremely cool, and yet we have a long growing season.
This extended season or “hangtime” provides time for the complete development of flavor and texture. All of the successful vineyards of our area are planted on hillsides between 200 and 700 feet in elevation, in well-drained soil. Vineyards below 200 feet are typically subject to frost and deep overly fertile soils, while vineyards above 700 feet often have difficulty ripening due to cooler average temperatures at higher elevation.
Canary Hill Vineyard
Canary Hill Vineyard
Located at the southern end of the Eola Hills and faces southeast. The vines were planted in 1982 and 1983. They are vertically trellised and are of the Pommard clone. Elevation is 450' to 550'. The soil is a mix of Jory and Nekia. Both are formed from igneous rock and have a reddish-brown tint. This site, however, has less depth than similar soils in the Dundee Hills. Wine from this vineyard is typically very forward, with aromas of black cherry and cola. Approximately 625 cases are produced. The vineyard is owned by Dick and Nancy Daniel, and managed by Mark Gould.
Ken Wright Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Canary Hill Vineyard 2004
Polished and rich in texture, a bit hot but expanding beautifully to show off its ripe cherry and blackberry and faint notes of earth and shiso that linger along with the fruit, wrapped in a light veil of toasty oak
Rated 93 Wine Spectator
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