King Estate Winery near Eugene, Ore., presents a regal presence that offers a realm of opportunities for wine lovers.
There are, of course, the wines, featuring Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, but also an expansive country winery complex.
Also featured are a visitor center and the King Estate Restaurant and tasting bar. The restaurant features gourmet food that not only can be paired with current releases but also library wines.
All of this is surrounded by 1,033 acres that includes 465 acres of organically grown grapes, reported to be the largest such block in Oregon.
It all happened because Ed King Jr., who grew up on a wheat farm near Dodge City, Kan., left the farm and eventually created King Radio in Kansas, which supplied electronic navigational and communication equipment for civilian and military aircraft.
What does this have to do with wines in Oregon, you ask? Well, Ed King Jr. and his son Ed King III both had a love of fine wines.
In 1984, father and son sold King Radio and Ed III moved to Eugene to secure an MBA at the University of Oregon.
In 1990, when the Oregon wine scene was ramping up for unprecedented expansion, Ed III, along with his father, started planning King Estate on land not far from Eugene.
They had the money to do a first-class job, and the result is King Estate, in which the father is chairman of the board and the son the CEO.
While starting out making Pinot Noir - the traditional wine of choice for many Oregon wineries - King Estate also quickly jumped aboard the Pinot Gris bandwagon and is believed to be not only the largest producer of this variety in Oregon but also perhaps the country.
There has been a steady expansion of the wine portfolio since the beginning, with current winemaker Bill Kremer and assistants John Albin and Lindsay Kampff.
Beside both a Domaine (reserve) Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, King Estate also makes a Signature (regular) Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. It also has branched out into other labels and varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
King Estate also produces a Riesling and a Pinot Gris dessert wine called Vin Glace.
The Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are bottled under the label NxNW - which means "North by Northwest" and is a nod to their aviation hertiage - and include grapes from Washington's Columbia Valley.
The Riesling is labeled as "next." There also is a "next" Pinot Noir.
Finally, King Estate is jumping up and down over a new line of value Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris under the Acrobat label. Both are under $20.
I asked Wine Press Northwest editors Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman, along with longtime wine judge Coke Roth, to assist me in tasting four vintage Pinot Noirs along with a selection of other current King Estate wines.
King Estate 1996 Pinot Noir, Oregon: Still holding up well after 14 years. Nice bouquet of pie cherries and earth with a touch of caramel. Delicate flavors of tart cherries and blueberries with bright acidity and sturdy tannins. "The 1996 was considered a poor vintage, but in retrospect this one is holding up better than some of the more exalted Oregon vintages," Perdue remarked.
King Estate 1998 Pinot Noir, Oregon: Starting to show some age, or as I like to say, aging gracefully, with the original raspberry, cherry and plum characters fading a bit. There are still some cinnamon and black pepper components.
King Estate 2002 Pinot Noir, Oregon: Strawberries come to mind with the aromas followed by the same for flavors. There are also some intriguing herb characteristics, licorice and supple black cherry flavors. Good breadth for a classic Oregon Pinot Noir.
King Estate 2004 Pinot Noir, Oregon: Starting to mature but is holding up well. Think leather aromas and rhubarb cherry pie flavors.
King Estate 2008 Signature Pinot Noir, Oregon, $27: Straight forward, tasty and smooth, opening with leather, Van cherries and unripe strawberries. There is also some red licorice.
next 2008 Riesling, Washington, $12: Grapefruit, gooseberries and Fuji apples hallmark a crisp, balanced riesling.
Acrobat 2009 Pinot Gris, $12, Oregon: Nice sweetness with ample acidity offering pears, citrus and some melons.
King Estate 2008 Pinot Gris, $17, Oregon: Smooth and approachable. Starfruit, pear, apple and some lively citrus.
King Estate 2008 Domaine Pinot Gris, $25, Oregon: Big and juicy, a real palate pleaser. Pineapple, mango with nice intensity yet great balance to match with all kinds of seafood.
NxNW 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $25: Made from a host of top Eastern Washington vineyards. Smooth with chocolate, berries and light tannins.
NxNW 2007 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $18: Sweet oak and black pepper aromas yield to boysenberry jam flavors backed by sturdy tannins.
Bob Woehler is Wine Press Northwest's tasting editor. He has been writing about Northwest wine since 1976.
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