Evesham Wood Pinot Noir 2022, Willamette Valley

Entry level, but, boy, what a great pinot.

Russ Raney and his wife Mary founded Evesham Wood Vineyard and Winery in 1986, a few years after moving to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Russ grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and when I first learned about him and Evesham Wood way back in the early 1990s, I was intrigued that an Arkansas boy would quietly be making what were reputed to be great pinot noir and chardonnay so far from home. Leslie and I made a trip to Willamette in 1994, tasting the ‘93s out of barrel at a variety of wineries. That year — 1993 — was exceptional in the region and helped bring appropriate attention to the Willamette Valley. We were impressed by the wines, but also by the owner and winemaker’s self-effacing demeanor. No ego was involved, but an emphasis on the vineyards, the soil and climate, with minimum manipulation in the winery, which was, by the way, in the basement of the Raney’s home. Russ was one of the first winemakers in Willamette to bottle his wines unfined and unfiltered, and he insisted on dry-farming, with no irrigation.