2024 Elk Cove - Willamette Valley Pinot Gris (750ml)

Elk Cove Vineyards was founded in 1974 by Pat and Joe Campbell, making it one of the founding wineries of the Willamette Valley and the first vineyard planted in what later became the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The estate is now led by second-generation owner and winemaker Adam Campbell, a fifth-generation Oregon farmer who sources fruit exclusively from six sustainably farmed vineyard sites spread across the northern Willamette Valley. The winery takes its name from the local herd of Roosevelt elk that migrates through the property each spring, and it has built its reputation on Pinot Noir alongside a range of cool-climate whites.

Pinot Gris has been a signature focus at Elk Cove since the estate's earliest vintages, and the Winery Estate Vineyard is home to some of the oldest Pinot Gris vines in Oregon, planted back in 1985. The grapes are hand-harvested from hillside sites, then whole-cluster pressed and fermented at very cool temperatures in small stainless-steel tanks, a gentle approach designed to protect the variety's delicate aromatics while still allowing its natural richness to come through. The Willamette Valley's mix of warm daytime sun and cool evenings is ideally suited to this style, offering enough ripening potential without sacrificing freshness.

The wine opens with aromas of poached pear and honeysuckle, accented by a touch of thyme, leading into a juicy palate of ripe pear and apricot that closes with a zesty note of peach skin and lemon. It's a wonderful match for grilled trout, a chilled shrimp cocktail, or fresh chèvre.