While Burgundy is the ancestral home and current source of much of the most prized Pinot Noir, the grape has exploded in popularity around the world. Yet due to its fickle, fragile nature, it remains a challenging grape to grow in even the most ideal conditions, like those found in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
From relatively humble beginnings in the 1960s to a modern region boasting not just critical acclaim and commercial success but also investment and attention from many of the world’s largest wine companies, the Willamette Valley is now one of the most well-known and respected wine regions in the world — especially for its Pinot.
VinePair reached out to wine professionals and experts for their “Mount Rushmore” picks of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: not necessarily their favorite wines to drink, but the wines that are most historically important, consequential, and iconic from the last 60 years of viticulture that helped define the region. Here’s what they said…