I agree that 2018 will be great given the time. But they will need time - a lot of time. They’re the Oregon equivalent of 1986 Bordeaux.
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Bill, I only had one glass after the first taste pour. I thought it opened up a bit over the 2 hours or so and I really enjoyed it as I do with most if not all of KF. My SO really liked the bottle and before I knew what was happening it was gone. She has no patience for glass or bottle development. When I went for a refill and found the bottle empty I was sad and just decided to leave what was in my glass for next day and opened something else. I agree with you on day 2 improvement as best I can tell from the small amount leftover. I have one bottle left that I will hold unless of course she sees it, then it’s a goner.
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Popped a '16 Ahurani over the weekend, just an incredibly enjoyable bottle of wine. Well in the zone with vibrant fruit and modest structure, happy that it had the stuffing to hold 10 years. Great value for $30.
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A wine shop in Indy is offering the 2023 Stater Pinot Blanc. Do you think it is still youthful? I prefer my whites when they are lean and racy, limestone, mineral, lemony, etc.
We had this blind in an all Chardonnay tasting in my group and I found it to be nice, but odd, it had this Dole fruit cup quality that I wasn’t terribly fond of. Popped the Durant over the weekend, really nice bottle for the price and much more traditional. I still find the whites pale in comparison to the reds but at the price points they are offered they’re solid.
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My SO found the last bottle hidden like a bloodhound she is. It did not stand a chance. Poof it was gone.
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Did not get a fruit cup thing but it will be on the mind for the next bottle
Had ‘08 momtazi recently and was also disappointed. Love the later wines. So maybe a matter of hitting one’s stride?
2007 was a shitty year in Oregon. 
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The other 2007 KF bottles I have opened were delicious, this was the only off bottle. Screw top so cannot say faulty cork. We still finished the bottle but it was muted and no sunshine. Same day 2.
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What did you think? Ive had a couple of these and was not super impressed, an 05 felt diluted.
- 2019 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Star of Bethlehem Flower Block - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (6/6/2026)
Decanted 3 hrs. A perfect example of a high scoring wine on my ‘EEE’ scale aka Exquisitely Ethereal and Elegant which in hindsight, I probably developed after first tasting KF Pinots in the first place! So, I think we all know the baseline on the 19 SoB. But this also had a very sneaky structure, more grip than usual with a savory almost carnal like quality that was oh so appealing with the usual medley of wild mountain strawberries and spices that are the trade mark of KF Pinots. I think there is plenty of room for growth and further development, but well worth a cork pull today. (95 points)
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I picked up a mixed 6-pack of Kelley’s 2019s (the Hyland Vineyard Coury Clone and the Maresh Vineyard Royal Ann Block) during BD15. Tried one of each later that spring, two years ago, and decided to tuck them away for some years to come. Am looking forward to opening one-each of the four remaining wines one of these years.
I’d been looking forward to trying the Dux Chardonnay for a while, so finally got around to opening and comparing it with the Durant. While I enjoy direct side-by-side comparisons and know their value, I also like leaving some time between bottles. When I do, I make a point of not reading my previous notes. I find it helps me focus on what’s actually in the glass rather than trying to tick off similarities and differences.
It’s probably a legacy from my dad, who was a speaker engineer. He always said that, if he had the choice, he’d rather spend a whole day listening to one speaker before switching to the other than swap cables every track. Trust your memory and the individual character of each one first, then compare afterwards. I think there’s something in that for wine too.
2023 Kelley Fox Wines Chardonnay Dux Vineyard
Popped and poured then drank over 2 days. Medium lemon appearance. Medium+ intensity nose spanning multiple fruit clusters. Some stone fruit (peach), orchard fruit (Asian pear), and tropical notes (melon). Secondary characters suggestive of malo and lees ageing are also noticeable, with cream and yoghurt. There’s almost a flor-like character of hay and apple skin which is intriguing. Sawdust, smoke, and oyster shell add further complexity. Immediately on the nose, this shows richer & riper than the Durant.
Slight effervescence on the palate which dissipated quickly. Dry / medium+ acid / medium alcohol / medium+ body / medium+ flavour intensity. The richer nose is also reflected in the richer body and fruit profile on the palate. Long finish with lovely mouth-coating intensity. The character of the outstanding finish feels quite similar to the Durant - fruit, acid, and structure coat the palate with complexity derived from saline, stony elements. These minerals really linger on the lips. I also find the “crisp German pilsner” element again.
For the first hour, I’d perhaps have put this at very good but it kept improving into day 2 - outstanding. What I love about these two is they are simultaneously very different (the freshness of the Durant vs. the richness of the Dux - relatively speaking) but also have commonality of style which I see most clearly on the savoury profile, especially the finish. The regional bottling also shows this commonality. At first, I thought I enjoyed this and the Durant equally, but I perhaps love this Dux a touch more - splitting hairs. Priced reasonably at US$50 and would like to try with 2 or 3 years more age. (93 Points)
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