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Ayres Vineyard 2018 Pinot Blanc
The road to Oregon
Over 165 years ago, Kathleen McLeroy’s great-grandfather came to Oregon in a covered wagon. As a leader of the famous “Lost Wagon Train of ‘53”, he helped a group of pioneers survive the trip over the Cascade Range and into the Willamette Valley. Desperate, cold, and hungry, they knew that the Valley would be a source of agricultural bounty.
Fast forward to the turn of this century, and Kathleen and her husband decided to pack up their Subaru and head west to the Willamette Valley. Brad had sold his Kansas City wine shop and, inspired by the wines he tasted at the International Pinot Noir Celebration, he wanted to try his hand at making Pinot Noir. Other than the dream, they had no house, no land, and no plan.
But manifest destiny lives. And before long, they’ve found 38 acres near Newberg that will become the Ayres Vineyard. Pinot Noir is planted in 2001. Pinot Blanc in 2002. First harvest in 2003. And in 2008, Brad pours his wine at IPNC, returning to the place that first inspired him to change the course of his life.
As Mark Twain said, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it surely rhymes.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Ayres Vineyard, Newberg, Oregon
2018 Pinot Blanc
Here’s a confession for you: It’s my firm belief that Pinot Blanc is the best white wine varietal grown in Oregon. It is perfectly suited to our climate, making a refreshing, clean, mineralic wine that is wonderful with so much of the local foods in Oregon.
And yet, it can be hard to find sometimes. Put me down as one wine lover who just doesn’t understand why there’s not more Pinot Blanc made here.
This lovely Pinot Blanc from Ayres is a perfect example of this wine. Clean and crisp with strong citrus notes, it has a nice thread of minerality. Refreshing and yet complex, this white wine will cut through the rich foods at Thanksgiving and satisfy even the snobbiest wine snobs at your table.
A Cellar 503 selection in November 2019, Thanksgiving Wines Willamette Valley | Pinot Blanc
