Kelley Fox Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

Kelley Fox Wines is a small winery created in 2007 along with my father, Gerson “Gus” Stearns. Kelley has lived in the Willamette Valley since the late 80’s. The first vintage (2007) started with just over 100 cases. The annual case production is now around 5500 cases, from vineyards including the historic Maresh Vineyard (1970-1991 vine ages), Hyland Vineyard (through 2019), Freedom Hill Vineyard, Weber Vineyard (1983 and 1988 Pinot), Durant Vineyard (Chardonnay, Pinot gris, and starting in 2022, Pinot noir), Dux Vineyard (Chardonnay), Carter Vineyard (1983 old vine), and Canary Hill Vineyard.

Full-time, year-round, on-the-floor Oregon Pinot noir winemaker since 2000. My education includes a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology from Texas AM University. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual degrees in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University and was admitted to the PhD program in Biochemistry.

Her winemaking experience includes Torii Mor, Hamacher, The Eyrie Vineyards, and ten years as winemaker at Scott Paul Wines (August 2005 to about mid-April 2015). Since then, I have happily worked for my own winery exclusively.

Starting with the harvest of 2018, I have been producing my wines at the winery of dear, longtime friends, Ann and Dean Fisher of ADEA Wine Company.

The wines are made to reflect the land, the vines, the fruit of the vines, the year, and everything else unknown and unseen that comes with those things. They are Oregon wines, and hopefully, they are wines specifically of their vineyards. That said, the wines are not really “made” at all.

Rated : 96 Points Gary Walsh – The Winefront
Eola-Amity Hills A.V.A Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
Strawberry, iron filings/ozone, subtle earthiness, flowers and spice. A delicate thing we have here, acid driven, all river pebble and rain-washed acidity, a watercolour wine of intricacy and nuance, with a bright ripe strawberry finish of excellent length. Delightful. Alcohol : 13%
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98 points Jeb Dunnuck (Audrey Frick)
The 2021 is a transparent, deep red that is youthful with blue notes. The lush, fresh nose has rich red fruits, subtle spices, and minerals. In the mouth there is a powerful presence- a stillness- a restraint and a waiting- that is weightless. It’s full of strawberries and other berries (like Marionberries). This wine feels alive and ineffably beautiful. (Kelley Fox)