This is only the second Pinot Noir released under the King James label, which debuted in 2019. The inspiration for the wine came from Co-CEO Ed King himself, who wanted to weave a little family history into a limited production wine. At least three generations of men in the family have been named Edward James King, including our two co-founders. Calling our latest Pinot Noir “King James” is a seriously playful tribute to King Estate’s commitment to family as one of our three founding principles, along with stewardship and tradition. The name bridges generations, from a 16th century monarch in Great Britain to the 21st century’s LeBron.
A King Family Tribute
The label, designed by third-generation family member Taylor King, is a stunner, winning “Best of Class” in the 2022 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. And that’s only a precursor to the quality of the wine in the bottle – all estate grown from Blocks 16C, 4B, 19G, 21D and 21H, representing the very north to the far south of the 1,033-acre estate.
Each block is planted with a different clone: Pommard, which originated in a village of the same name in the Burgundy region of France and is one of the original clones introduced into the Willamette Valley in the 1970s; and three that are known as the Dijon clones – 375, 777, 113 and 115. Around 1987 the original Dijon cuttings were shipped from the University of Dijon to a laboratory at Oregon State University where technicians named the cuttings after the return address on the box. Each clone brings its own unique characteristics to this classic Oregon Pinot Noir that bears a regal name.
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