2021 Lange Winery Estate Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton Assemblage Willamette Valley 750 ml

Grown on three top Yamhill-Carlton sites in a phenomenal Willamette Valley vintage—one that featured what Jesse says was the most flawless September and October he’s ever seen—the 2021 Yamhill Assemblage is exactly what a young Willamette Valley Pinot from a phenomenal season should be. It shows a shining dark ruby color, with aromas of cherry fruit, spice box, and cedar, plus a layered, herby palate and sturdy tannins that offer fantastic structure.

We tasted this wine alongside the 2008 version, which is drinking beautifully. After a decade and a half, it’s awash in baked strawberry, book leather, cedar, and turned earth—and it shows exactly where this ‘21 is headed.

A decade ago, one of our emails described Jesse Lange as looking like he could burn up the Boston Marathon course in two and a half hours. Well, Jesse is a father of two now, but you could still strike a match on him—in fact, when we saw him, he was fresh off running the Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon, which winds its way through the Dundee Hills vineyards. 

Jesse and his team go a bit outside of their Dundee wheelhouse for their Yamhill-Carlton Assemblage. They’ve classically tapped the Hirschy and Yamhill Vineyards for this bottling, but in 2021, they leaned on a third site: the Lazy River Vineyard, to tell the tale of one of their favorite sub-AVas. 

“Yamhill-Carlton is built on Willakenzie,” Jesse told us as he poured, referring to the sedimentary soil type that dominates the area. “But Lazy River is one of the only vineyards that’s primarily volcanic.” That site contributes to the fantastic structure that makes this such a great Pinot for the cellar.