January 25, 2012
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Evesham Wood
| Owner(s) | Erin Nuccio, Jordan Nuccio |
| Web site | www.eveshamwood.com |
| Link to this site |
Russell Raney’s career in wine began as a winemaker in Germany and subsequently he worked in retail and as a wine buyer for a wholesale company in the United States. He was attracted to Pinot Noir but found few examples in the 1980s worth getting excited about. He decided to craft his own Pinot Noir and began a search for an appropriate setting in North America. He settled on Oregon’s Eola Hills west of Salem and founded his label in 1986. He named his winery Evesham Wood after the Vale of Evesham in the Cotswold Hills of England because the site bore a resemblance to this part of the English countryside.
Farming of the 13-acre estate vineyard, named Le Puits Sec (“The Dry Well”), has been organic from the start and the vineyard was certified organic by Oregon Tilth in 2000 (the winery is also certified organic). The vineyard is dry-farmed and Raney is a firm believer in avoiding irrigation of vineyards after the vines are established if the climate is conducive. Raney says, “Once the vines are into production our feeling is, in addition to wastefulness, the wines that are created from irrigated sites - they may be quite nice wines - are often less distinctive and tend to be very similar from year to year. This is because they’re trying to give the vines, by way of irrigation, the same amounts of water each year.” Raney is a member of the Deep Roots coalition, an advocacy group for wines produced exclusively from non-irrigated vines.
Raney has been heavily influenced by Burgundian winemaking techniques and two of his former distant mentors were the famous Henri Jayer of Vosne-Romanee and the less well-known, but equally accomplished, Michelle Niellon. Raney’s admiration for the French is shown in the French names he uses for his wines. Production is kept small (less than 5,000 cases of primarily Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). Raney is committed to elegance and restraint, to balance and expression of terroir, what I refer to as “pinotosity.” Evesham Wood wines are never fruit bombs, even in a warm vintage like 2006. These are connoisseur's wines.
In July, 2010, Russ and Mary Raqney sold Evesham Wood and the estate vineyard, Le Puits Sec, to Erin and Jordan Nuccio of Haden Fig Wines. Erin has worked at Evesham Wood since 2007. Raney will continue to consult and Erin claims that "nothing will change since our winemaking and vineyard management philosophies are virtually identical."
Evesham Wood Vineyards and Winery is located at 3795 Wallace Rd NW in Salem. Visitors are welcome for tours and tasting by appointment. 503-371-8478. Open houses are held on Memorial Day weekend and the weekend before Thanksgiving each year. The wines are in wide retail distribution. Call the winery for direct sales.
Articles About Evesham Wood
Reviewed Wines
2009 Evesham Wood Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.0% alc.,
1,650 cases, $14.79 (full retail $18). Produced from sustainably
grown grapes in non-irrigated vineyards (Illahe, Eola Springs, Hidden
Rocks and Mahonia). Aged 11 months in 10% new French oak
barrels. Unfiltered.
·
Light in color with a reddish hue. Good aroma
volume of strawberries, cherries, sandalwood and dried red rose
petals. Tasty core of red berries, red cherries and red plums with a respectable
mid palate attack. Elegantly styled and forward drinking with a cherry-filled and
refreshing finish. Typical reserved but charming Evesham Wood style. Very
good and a steal at this price. (The 2010 vintage of this wine has been released)
Reviewed November 2, 2011
ARTICLE »
2008 Bruno Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13% alc., $14.50. A second label for
Evesham Wood.
·
Slightly sweet aromas of cherries, berries and violets. Mediumweighted
core of berry fruit with brown spice accents, a soft texture, minimal
tannins, and a clean bright finish. A daily drinker. Decent.
Reviewed January 22, 2010
ARTICLE »
2008 Evesham Wood Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.0% alc.,
$15. Unfiltered.
·
Demurely scented nose of strawberries, baking
spice and a hint of cedar showing more intensity with time in the
glass. Tasty core of strawberry, cranberry and cherry fruit in the
redder spectrum. Light in weight and elegantly crafted. A highly
approachable back porch wine. Decent (+).
Reviewed November 29, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Evesham Wood Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 225
cases. $20.95. 65% Hill Vineyard and 35% Bryn Mawr Vineyard which
is close by. Aged in 10% new French oak barrels and bottled unfined
and unfiltered.
·
Reserved scents of cherries, peaches, herbs and hay.
Light and elegant cherry and strawberry fruit with some structural
power due to modest tannins. A thoroughly enjoyable value-priced
Pinot Noir that gets the job done.
Reviewed May 7, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Evesham Wood La Grive Bleue Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 300 cases, $24.95. Made from the Evesham Wood estate
vineyard which is a younger (12-year-old vines) part of the vineyard
planted to clones 114 and 777. Ripest fruit on the estate in 2007.
Aged 15 months in 15% new French oak barrels and bottled without
fining or filtration.
·
The fruit comes in waves on the nose. Medium weighted
red Pinot fruits on the palate with a little citrus note and
subtle oak riff on the back end. Tasty and smoothly textured. A little more
oomph and character than the regular Eola-Amity Hills bottling.
Reviewed May 7, 2009
ARTICLE »
2007 Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., $30. From organic grapes grown on
non-irrigated vineyards. Unfiltered.
·
Moderately light garnet color in the
glass. Restrained nose with faint red fruits, oak and a floral note. Light
and elegant on the palate featuring spiced raspberries and cranberries
and a touch of green herbs. Bright acidity creates a refreshing finish.
Understated and feminine, with enough charm to satisfy. Very good.
Reviewed November 29, 2009
ARTICLE »
2006 Evesham Wood Cuvée J Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir
13.0%
alc., 171 cases, $44.95. This is Raney’s top Pinot Noir created for
cellaring. Sourced exclusively from the estate vineyard, Le Puits Sec,
with the fruit from the older Pommard section of the vineyard. Aged in
50% new French oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration.
·
Riper and darker fruit highlighted with flavors of root beer, cola,
marzipan and tea. This wine has a glass-filling presence yet retains an
admirable elegance. The mouth feel is refined and the finish is remarkably
persistent. The balance is spot on portending a long life ahead. Impressive
effort.
Reviewed May 7, 2009
ARTICLE »
2009 Evesham Wood Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 1,650 cases, $14.79 (full retail $18). Produced from sustainably grown grapes in non-irrigated vineyards (Illahe, Eola Springs, Hidden Rocks and Mahonia). Aged 11 months in 10% new French oak barrels. Unfiltered. · Light in color with a reddish hue. Good aroma volume of strawberries, cherries, sandalwood and dried red rose petals. Tasty core of red berries, red cherries and red plums with a respectable mid palate attack. Elegantly styled and forward drinking with a cherry-filled and refreshing finish. Typical reserved but charming Evesham Wood style. Very good and a steal at this price. (The 2010 vintage of this wine has been released) Reviewed November 2, 2011 ARTICLE »
2008 Bruno Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13% alc., $14.50. A second label for Evesham Wood. · Slightly sweet aromas of cherries, berries and violets. Mediumweighted core of berry fruit with brown spice accents, a soft texture, minimal tannins, and a clean bright finish. A daily drinker. Decent. Reviewed January 22, 2010 ARTICLE »
2008 Evesham Wood Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., $15. Unfiltered. · Demurely scented nose of strawberries, baking spice and a hint of cedar showing more intensity with time in the glass. Tasty core of strawberry, cranberry and cherry fruit in the redder spectrum. Light in weight and elegantly crafted. A highly approachable back porch wine. Decent (+). Reviewed November 29, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Evesham Wood Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 225 cases. $20.95. 65% Hill Vineyard and 35% Bryn Mawr Vineyard which is close by. Aged in 10% new French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered. · Reserved scents of cherries, peaches, herbs and hay. Light and elegant cherry and strawberry fruit with some structural power due to modest tannins. A thoroughly enjoyable value-priced Pinot Noir that gets the job done. Reviewed May 7, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Evesham Wood La Grive Bleue Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 300 cases, $24.95. Made from the Evesham Wood estate vineyard which is a younger (12-year-old vines) part of the vineyard planted to clones 114 and 777. Ripest fruit on the estate in 2007. Aged 15 months in 15% new French oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration. · The fruit comes in waves on the nose. Medium weighted red Pinot fruits on the palate with a little citrus note and subtle oak riff on the back end. Tasty and smoothly textured. A little more oomph and character than the regular Eola-Amity Hills bottling. Reviewed May 7, 2009 ARTICLE »
2007 Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., $30. From organic grapes grown on non-irrigated vineyards. Unfiltered. · Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Restrained nose with faint red fruits, oak and a floral note. Light and elegant on the palate featuring spiced raspberries and cranberries and a touch of green herbs. Bright acidity creates a refreshing finish. Understated and feminine, with enough charm to satisfy. Very good. Reviewed November 29, 2009 ARTICLE »
2006 Evesham Wood Cuvée J Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 171 cases, $44.95. This is Raney’s top Pinot Noir created for cellaring. Sourced exclusively from the estate vineyard, Le Puits Sec, with the fruit from the older Pommard section of the vineyard. Aged in 50% new French oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration. · Riper and darker fruit highlighted with flavors of root beer, cola, marzipan and tea. This wine has a glass-filling presence yet retains an admirable elegance. The mouth feel is refined and the finish is remarkably persistent. The balance is spot on portending a long life ahead. Impressive effort. Reviewed May 7, 2009 ARTICLE »
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