The Yamhill-Carlton AVA (American Viticulture Area), is located in Northwest Willamette Valley. Protected by the Coast Range Mountains which provide a rain shadow on the region protecting it from extreme weather, Yamhill-Carlton, like all of Willamette Valley, is known for producing killer Pinot Noir.
What makes Yamhill-Carlton different is the soil. Yamhill County considers it the worst agricultural soil in the county. It is dominated by marine sediments and underlying siltstone-sandstone parent material, well-drained, and, it has moderate water holding capacity.
This may not sound like an ideal place for a vineyard but it didn’t deter Steve Lutz, founder of Lenné Estate, In 2000, Steve was on the lookout for the perfect place to grow vines that would result in wines that express the terroir. The moment he saw the 20 acres parcel that was to become Lenné Estate and learned of the poor quality Peavine soil, he knew that he was in the right place. According to Steve, “Poor soils make great wines, and this soil is as bad as it gets in this area.”
In 2000, Lenné Estate was born. But, success didn’t come overnight.
Steve planted 11 acres in 2001; three blocks of Pommard clones and two blocks of Dijon clones 777 and 115. Three years later he planted another five blocks of clones 667 and 114. However, Steve would wait seven years before there was enough fruit to vinify each clone planting separately.
- Today, Lenné Estate produces Pinot Noir under three distinct labels, of which, each is entirely from the 21-acre estate.
- LeNez is composed of fruit from each of the five clones. The LeNez is the most fruit-forward of the bottlings.
- Lenné Estate is a barrel selection of the finest parts of the vineyard. The primary grapes are the 114 clones, and the Pommard, with a small selection of the other clones. This wine has more black and bing cherry aromatics. It can age for up to 8 years.
- Cinq Élus is a blend of the best barrel from each of the five different clonal blocks. This wine has many layers and should be magnificent with six to ten years in the bottle.
And now for the Chardonnay
Since 2016 Lenné also produces Chardonnay: all wines are produced from 100% estate fruit, grown and produced with minimal intervention.
Steve’s hard work and faith in the location paid off. His wines have won awards across the country and recognition with top wine publications such as Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, and James Suckling. Steve explains, “Peavine soil leads to small thick-skinned grapes and a unique mocha flavor profile”
Wine tasting notes
Brand approach: Minimal intervention
Per Steve Lutz: “We believe that single site wines are more important than ever because of the homogenous nature of blending. Lenné is all about dry-farmed, deep-rooted, single site Pinot Noir.”
I tasted the 2017 Estate Pinot Noir and the 2018 Lenné Chardonnay. Tasting and winemaker notes follow.
Fermentation and Aging: 2018 Lenné Chardonnay was gently pressed and then fermented in one new French Oak luncheon, a year old puncheon, and three neutral barrels. The wine sat in the barrel on fine lees for 9 months then was filtered and bottled in August.
Tasting notes: Steve notes that the goal with the Chardonnay is to utilize oak to impart a creamy texture to the wine without being heavy-handed. I shared this bottle with friends who commented, “Is this a white burgundy?” They couldn’t believe it was from Oregon.
The wine is balanced with a nice texture, good acidity, and aromas of ripe pear and a hint of green apple. It is meant to be drunk fresh, but you could keep it for up to five years. Lenné produces only 110 cases of this Chardonnay and it sells for $45 a bottle.
2017 Lenné Estate Pinot Noir
Fermentation and aging: Minimally handled using gravity. The grapes were gently destemmed and cold-soaked for five days prior to inoculation. The must was then fermented at moderate temperatures and racked into small French oak barrels and aged for 11 months prior to bottling.
Overall, 2017 is considered a good vintage with defined fruit and perfect balance.
Tasting notes: This wine is ready to drink now but Steve said and I agree, it would show better in about five years and can be stored for up to 10 years. It has nice aromas of red fruit and cherries on the palate. The poor sedimentary soil of Lenné creates two terroir signatures: mid-palate grip and a distinct mocha-chocolate flavor. The tannins were definitely noticeable to me as was the distinct mocha flavor. Very unique! There are only 298 cases of this wine produced and it sells for only $40 a bottle.
Lenne Estate wines are available for shipment or pick up directly from the winery. Tours of the vineyard and tastings are by appointment. Steve also hosts Zoom chats and online Blind Tastings, which have been so successful he plans to continue them indefinitely. You can find more info on all upcoming events on the Lenne’ Facebook page
Contact Lenné Estate
(503) 956-2256
18760 NE Laughlin Road
Yamhill, OR 97148
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