I vividly remember a unyielding bin of whole cluster from Lewman. One heck of a workout on that punchdown!
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In the dictionary, next to the word “unyielding”
Is a picture of that fermenter.
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No need to wait for Audrey Frick’s 100 pt review, you heard it here first. Edit: I see @Jim_Anderson beat me to the punch by a couple of days
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I have built in advantages.
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I haven’t had the opportunity to taste many of Kelley’s wines over the years, but did recently enjoy this stellar Pinot Blanc.
- 2024 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Blanc Freedom Hill Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (8/19/2026)
Sourced from a vineyard within the Mount Pisgah, Polk County sub-AVA, this wine comprises 100% Pinot Blanc that was fermented and aged for six months in neutral French oak pièces, undergoing full malolactic conversion. Limpid and light golden, it offers an aromatic array of blood oranges, white peaches, lemon verbena, pressed flowers, chamomile and wet gravel. Medium-bodied, freshly acidic, seamlessly alcoholic (13.0%) and with a dollop of spicy oak, it delivers flavors congruent with the nose and has good mipalate presence. Long and lifted on the finish, this is an impressively crafted white that should be at its best over the next 3-4 years. Popped and poured, it was immediately expressive. Drink now-2030. (93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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This is really very nice and quite delicious. I have so little experience with Kelley’s wines, although I’ve had a handful (both PN & Chard). This is the biggest of the bunch, so far. It’s very generous and expressive, both in the mouth and on the nose. And a finish that just goes on and on. I need to pay better attention to the verticals Kelley & Jonathan offer during the BDs. 
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Is it still very primary or has it started showing more secondary/tertiary elements?
2017 Kelley Fox Wines Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Red Barn Blocks
BD17 purchase.
Pours a pale ruby. Nose is gorgeous with soft red cherry, rich potting soil, hint of cranberry, a little bit of astringent mint. Palate is precise…pretty red fruit, earth and fine tannin, tart cranberry finish. Medium finish with plenty of acid.
Gorgeous wine. Fruit is still quite lovely and primary, enveloped with earth and herb, delicate and supple palate. Drinking beautifully. There is structure here but also delicacy. Would be interesting to see where this goes. My only bottle. Shame!
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If you had one more, when would you open it? I have one more sitting in the cellar and am constantly thinking what to do! Below is my original view from May this year but I hold it loosely.
“I think this is probably toward the end of its peak. You could certainly hold for a few years if tertiary is your thing but there’s a perfect balance right now between remaining bright fruit and tertiary complexity. While it’s not conclusive, I certainly felt it fell off in intensity on the second day reinforcing my view. My original plan was to hold my second bottle for 2-3 years but why wait. I look forward to drinking my second bottle at Xmas 2026.”
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Plenty primary to it, and it’s really pretty big/intense. But I sense it’s shedding its youth and into adulthood. As generous and expressive as any of the handful of KF PNs I’ve opened. Again, my experience with Kelley’s wines is very limited.
I think I am now down to my one 2017 of this mini vertical that was offered BD16. Given this really nice experience with the '16, I will be opening the '17 this year.
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The Momtazi was always the “biggest” of Kelley’s wines, which is in line with what Momtazi offers. An interesting vineyard whose wines seemed to me like a close cousin of Fir Crest. I loved her expression of Momtazi though she has not sourced fruit from there in a number of years.
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Thank you for the note. I was looking back to my last consumed bottle I had of Kelley’s and it’s more than a year ago. I need to make sure I load up on next BD!
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I think your comments echo my thoughts well. It’s drinking beautifully now.
I’m not an experienced ager of wines, but seems to have a lot of stuffing in it to age despite its delicacy. Could probably open another in 5-10 years.
Understood. I think your regret at not having one more bottle has roused me from my own folly! It may well be at peak now but why not wait a few more years to try it at a different stage of evolution. If that means I’m catching it on the downslope, that’s fine. You’ve removed it from the Xmas 2026 chopping block!
Extracted from my 30th Anniversary thread:
Kelley Fox Blueberry wine; I’m not sure which release. It intrigued everyone. What a nose of gorgeous, concentrated blueberry, yet dry and vinous on the palate. Always fun.
With prime bone in ribeye and black cod, both prepared perfectly by our friend, I opened a 2019 Kelley Fox Maresh Vineyard Star of Bethlehem Flower Block Pinot Noir. Kelley’s wines are so gorgeous and elegant, and everyone loved this as well. Raspberry and cranberry, delicate and beautifully balanced. I could drink these every day. A perfect pairing with the meal.
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The 2022 has an ABV of 11. The 2023 of 12.5. Not allowed to vintage date fruit wines.
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Thanks, Jim. Did you prefer one to the other?
The bottle I opened before this one was oxidized, and since my only previous experience with this wine was several bottles on release that I loved, it made me worry that the fruit wine might be falling apart young. However, the cork on that off bottle had a line of wine all the way to the top, so I think the cork failed. Then this latest bottle pretty much allayed my concerns.
Great stuff. Thanks for making it.
2019 Mirabai. First I’ve drunk of this vintage. Bought recently from Schneider’s (DC store that sources from private collections), so I don’t know the storage history. Cork was soaked three quarters of the way up, but I didn’t notice any oxidation or heat damage, and the wine was happily alive with nice fruit and acidity.
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