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B-21 Top Recommendation
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Crafted in a Burgundian style expressing “purity, minerality and depth of fruit” according to Eric Guido of Vinous, these top scoring 2022 selections from cult favorite Willamette Valley winery Walter Scott are not to be missed by fans of Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, a range of exceptional 2022’s declared “wildly successful” by critic Guido and all boasting complexity built for a decade or more of evolution.
Founded by Erica Landon and Ken Pahlow in the Eola-Amity Hills, Walter Scott was named to honor Ken’s late grandfather and nephew, producing its first vintage in 2009 at Patricia Green Cellars and moving the operation over to Evening Land Vineyards where Ken went to work in sales and in the cellar under the tutelage of Dominique Lafon. Now produced in a small winery leased from the Casteel family of Bethel Heights Winery, Walter Scott continues “to raise the bar across their portfolio” according to Jeb Dunnuck critic Audrey Frick, “producing exceptional wines with purity and balance” and sourcing their wines from some of region’s top Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards. Produced from four vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills, the bright 94 pt. 2022 Walter Scott La Combe Verte Pinot Noir offers pure, earthy fruit “back by juicy acidity and silky tannins” according to the Wine Enthusiast’s Michael Alberty, calling the entry level offering a “great buy.” A cellar selection bridging the gap between the La Combe Verte and the single vineyard cuvees, the fresh and vibrant 94 pt. 2022 Walter Scott Cuvee Ruth Pinot Noir boasts “ripe wild berry fruits and juicy acidity” according to Eric Guido of Vinous, describing it as “wonderfully complex and refined, making it a fantastic value.” From the iconic vineyard located in the new Mount Pisgah Polk County AVA, the dark fruited and intense 97 pt. 2022 Walter Scott Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir is “silky and fresh” according to the Wine Advocate’s Erin Brooks with rich, velvety tannins on a palate that’s “seamless yet powerful.” Boasting “masses of ripe orchard fruits and salty minerals,” Eric Guido of Vinous calls the 95 pt. 2022 Walter Scott Justice Vineyard Chardonnay “a beast of a wine" boasting a silky texture and substantial depth. The elegant 94 pt. 2022 Walter Scott Justice Vineyard Pinot Noir is “a wine of intense brilliance” according to Decanter’s Clive Pursehouse with layers of velvety tannins that will “undoubtedly transform beautifully over time."
From their benchmark Chardonnays that are “easily some of the best examples I have tasted” according to critic Eric Guido to their “pretty amazing” Pinots, these 2022 Walter Scott selections are well priced for their loyal fans to stock up as well as lovers of Oregon wines looking to explore this exceptional portfolio – echoing Vinous critic Neal Martin who counts Walter Scott among his great discoveries, “If you have not tried these wines yet, do yourself a favor." |
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The 2022 Pinot Noir La Combe Verte was sourced from vineyards planted on both volcanic and sedimentary soils, including Distraction, Freedom Hill, Sojeau, Temperance Hill and Witness Tree. Matured for 10 months in 25% new French oak, it opens with flinty reduction that gives way to cranberry, pomegranate, raspberry, forest floor and bitters. The palate offers bright, spicy red fruit, tea-textured tannins, vibrant acidity and a long, pure finish. Complex and expressive, the 2022 La Combe Verte is approachable now, although it will develop savory complexity in bottle over the next decade or more. 1,480 cases produced.
94 points, Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate (Feb 2024)
Bright acidity and an eagerness to please the minute you open the bottle are the La Combe Vert's calling cards. The boysenberry aromas fit nicely with the wine's other aromas of thyme and meat grilling over a wood fire. A tart blackberry flavor is accented by saline and cedar, backed by juicy acidity and silky tannins. Great buy.
92 points, Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast (Jul 2024)
A pungent and slightly reductive note announces the aromatics of La Combe Verte Pinot Noir. Several Eola-Amity sites are blended with fruit from the Mt Pisgah AVA's Freedom Hill—the site's old vines offer plenty of oomph to this wine. Feral forest floor elements mingle with dried violets and dried savoury herbs on the aromatics. The palate is amply structured, and mouth-watering acids create a canvas for the wild blackberry and mint flavours to meld with blood orange and white pepper notes.
92 points, Clive Pursehouse, Decanter (Feb 2024)
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