Tower Club Release Party and Tasting
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting close to 600 guests over three days at our quarterly members-only tasting. We were graced by unseasonably gorgeous spring weather and held the event on the north patio of the Visitor Center. Tower Club members tasted six newly released wines and enjoyed some delightful nibbles prepared by Sous Chef Sean Winder, including Manchego and Quince Bruschetta with Pistachios, Salmon Cakes with Remoulade, and Pork Belly and Rouge River Blue Cheese Arancini with Roasted Tomato Aioli. Many members also opted to stay for dinner in our estate restaurant.
Invitations to these private tastings are extended exclusively to Tower Club members. Along with this benefit, members also receive limited-production wines, discounts on wine purchases, and complimentary tasting at the wine bar.
For more information about membership, please contact Tower Club Manager Elizabeth Allcott at towerclub@kingestate.com or 541-942-9874, ext. 102.
Bring a Sparkle to Your Holiday with Blanc de Gris & Blanc de Noirs
Enjoy two special new releases this holiday season. These brut-style sparkling wines are made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise. Both are from the 2008 vintage and produced in limited quantities.
2008 Domaine Blanc de Gris
This sparkling Pinot Gris comes exclusively from organically-grown estate fruit. Its citrusy notes are nicely complimented by toasty vanilla & caramel undertones and a round finish.
$35 bottle / $29.75 Tower Club
$378 case / $357 Tower Club
2008 Blanc de Noirs
A traditional brut sparkling wine from predominantly estate fruit. Toasty floral aromas meet lemon, spice and apple on the palate, followed by a complex, lingering finish.
$45 bottle / $38.25 Tower Club
$486 case / $459 Tower Club
Ground shipping is included when you by case or more. Just add the bottles to your cart.
2012 Harvest Begins at King Estate Winery
On Saturday morning around 4AM at King Estate Winery near Eugene, Oregon we officially began harvest for the 2012 vintage on our own organic estate. This marks our 21st vintage since our inception in 1991 and our first harvest in 1992. Two crews harvested over 20 tons of Pinot Noir from a vineyard block near the solar panels on the northeast side of the property. Vineyard Manager Meliton Marinez was impressed, “I’m very pleased with the maturity and ripening of the fruit. We’re having a really good year, and the weather forecast is promising,” he said. The start of harvest is an exciting time at King Estate, and crews will be working 24/7 to process the grapes. We began bringing in grapes from off-site vineyards during the previous week.
Acrobat Pinot Gris and Signature Pinot Noir are Finalists for Snooth's People's Voice Awards
We can’t thank you enough for getting us to the finals! Your first-round votes got Signature Pinot Noir and Acrobat Pinot Gris to the finals of Snooth.com’s People’s Voice Award. If you love these wines, please cast your final-round vote for us!
Vote Now
Join over 1 million voters to crown 100 favorites. Every vote enters you into the Snooth People’s Voice Award Sweepstakes. Prizes from Snooth include a trip to Sonoma wine country!
First-round votes don’t count toward the finals, so please, vote for us now! We really appreciate your support!
King Estate Wines Nominated for Snooth's People's Voice Awards
Our Signature Pinot Noir and Acrobat Pinot Gris have been nominated in Snooth’s People’s Voice Awards. If you love these wines, cast your vote for us!
Join over 1 million people voting for 1200 wines to crown 100 favorites. Every vote enters you into the Snooth People’s Voice Award Sweepstakes. Prizes from Snooth include iPads and a $500 shopping credit on Bloomspot. We need your help – vote for us now!
Try These Wines Yourself:
Through July 19th, get 6 bottles each Signature Pinot Noir and Acrobat Pinot Gris for $197, including shipping!* Regularly $246 – that’s more than 20% off.
Take advantage of this limited-time offer.
*Ground orders to OR, WA, CA and ID are also eligible for $0 shipping. Distance & weather prevent Ground shipping to other states during the summer – please call us at 800-884-4441, ext. 102 for discounted Express. Valid online only.
Bud Break Starts the 2012 Growing Season in our Organic Vineyard
It’s that time again. Bud break signals the beginning of the 2012 growing season at King Estate. Tiny buds first started popping up in March, and the vineyard achieved 100% bud break in early May. Last year, bud break wasn’t until mid-May, so Vineyard Manger Meliton Martinez and the vineyard crew are paying special attention to the vulnerable buds to ensure optimal growth. Secondary buds are manually removed to make sure the primary bud (which contains 2-3 grape clusters) receives most of the nutrients and energy, “we have to touch every single bud to remove them,” said Martinez. The process takes about two weeks with 60 people working all day at the task.
The Domaine Pinot Noir Story – Animated Infographic
This month, members of the Ultimate tier of the King Estate Tower Club, will receive a limited edition magnum of our Domaine Pinot Noir. The screen printed, wax sealed bottle will arrive in a unique box featuring an infographic that tells the story of the wine and the meticulous barrel selection process that ensures only the best estate organic fruit makes it into our Domaine blend. We’ve posted an animated version of this same infographic for your viewing pleasure.
2008 Roserock Pinot Noir Scores 95 Points
Wine Spectator has given 95 or more points to only 18 Pinot Noir bottlings in Oregon’s history. Only three Oregon Pinots have ever scored better than 95, one with 96 and two with 97 points. The average price of those three Pinots was about $80. By contrast, the release price of our Roserock was $55.
Roserock Vineyard is perched on a ridge towards the southern end of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. In cooperation with our winemakers and viticulturists, Roserock grows fruit to our specifications. During the growing season, ocean breezes push through the Van Duzer Corridor in the Coastal Range maintaining a consistently cool climate that is the hallmark of all great Pinot Noir winegrowing regions. Shallow, well-drained volcanic soils of the Nekia series dominate this area. Roserock is LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon Safe Certified. The 2008 Roserock Pinot Noir aged for 15 months in 87% new French oak barrels.
VIDEO: King Estate 2011 Harvest, Our Twentieth Vintage!
2011, though challenging in many ways, appears to be a year of above average-fruit quality. The vines bore a lot of fruit, and with the late season it became worrisome that all the fruit would ripen, so measures needed to be taken. In a late year like 2010 and 2011, we really ride the razor’s edge, waiting with bated breath to see how ripe the fruit can get before the rainy season begins. In an effort to ensure that fruit fully ripens, it is often necessary to cluster thin, dropping clusters of otherwise perfect grapes in order to ensure that fewer clusters fully ripen and develop concentrated flavors. Often cluster thinning enhances the character and concentration of flavors in the remaining grapes since the vines are stressed and have less fruit to focus their energy on. In the end, the harvest at our 470 acre certified organic vineyard at King Estate can be characterized as a year of lower than typical yields but high quality. It is always a difficult decision to drop so much fruit on the ground, and it comes at a great economic expense, but it is also the only decision if you want to improve quality, harvest good fruit, and ultimately make the best wine possible in a challenging year. The goal is to overcome whatever obstacles are presented to make the best wine we can.
Excellence of Oregon's 2010 Vintage Reflected in our Signature Pinot Noir
“The 2010 Pinot Noir Signature Collection was tasted from a barrel sample. It displays a more expressive bouquet … excellent depth and concentration, ripe red and black fruit flavors, and a medium-long finish. It reflects the excellence of the 2010 vintage.” – Dr. Jay Miller, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate