Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard 2023 1.5L

USA : OREGON : YAMHILL-CARLTON

Pinot Noir

MED-BODIED, RED RASPBERRY, CRANBERRY, ROSE, BAKING SPICE, OAK

Shea is the most recognized vineyard name in Oregon, and a dozen labels bottle a wine from it — Ken Wright farms 8.5 of its 140 acres, in blocks of Pommard, Wadenswil and 114 planted on ancient marine sediment two miles east of Yamhill. He also wrote the petition that created the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and served as the appellation association's first president, which makes this about as close to a founding document as a bottle gets.

The 2023 is the lighter, tangier reading of the site: rose perfume, red raspberry and cranberry, a citrus and savory turn on the fruit, and tannins with only a mild grip. Twelve months in French oak, 12.6% alcohol — a serious Pinot Noir that finishes under 13% while the category drifts the other way. Wine Spectator 94 pts and No. 37 in its Top 100 of 2025. Wine Enthusiast 94 pts, Editors' Choice.

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