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Kelley Fox Wines 2020 Willamette Blanc
Let the grapes do their thing
Kelley Fox has been trying to understand plants her whole life. In college, she studied psychology and biology in order to try and understand how plants could affect healing. She was on her way to a Ph.D. program in biochemistry when she broke her arm. A chance meeting with another broken-arm patient – who was in the midst of planting a vineyard – turned her attention to wine.
Kelley literally worked her way from the ground up. Starting out planting vines, she soon moved into the cellar for hands-on experience. Working with some of Oregon’s renowned winemakers for two decades, she learned from the best. In 2007, she launched Kelley Fox Wines with a deep commitment to understanding that the best wine comes from grapevines that are treated well.
She personally cares for her vines and her grapes, with a strong focus on biodynamic and organic approaches. For Kelley, wine is made in the vineyard, not the cellar or the lab. She describes herself as a “logistics manager for her wines”, allowing the grapes and yeast to take a natural course.
She never did finish that biochemistry degree – and we’re better off for it!
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Kelley Fox Wines, Gaston, Oregon
2020 Willamette Blanc
Kelley Fox has earned a reputation for graceful, elegant Pinot Noirs that rival the best in the world. She has earned a cult following worldwide – most of her wine is sold in Europe.
2020 was the most challenging environment most winemakers in Oregon have ever experienced. Between the pandemic and the wildfires, winemakers “pivoted” over and over again. This bottle is a great representation of the 2020 vintage. It’s a wine that in any other year would never have been made but is a spectacular testament to what great winemakers can do when faced with a challenge.
The Willamette Blanc 2020 is made from 70% old vine Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from three vineyards that in any other year would have been bottled as single vineyard wines.
The wine smells of fresh ocean air, sweet rain and minerals. There are hints of citrus, white flower blossoms, and strawberries with a wonderful thread of acidity keeping it lively in the bottle.
A Cellar 503 selection in December 2021, Wines for the Holidays McMinnville | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
