Kelley Fox Wines

Kelly Fox is one of those winemakers who does practically everything herself: from harvesting the grapes to blending the wine and bottling it. Her small Oregon-based brand, situated in the Willamette Valley, focuses on Pinot Noir wines made from old vines sourced from some of the region’s most respected vineyards, as well as a selection of white wines. The wines have a loyal following and are distributed worldwide, yet production volumes remain small and the approach to winemaking remains deliberately minimalist.

History

Kelley Fox has lived in Oregon since the late 1980s and has been a full-time winemaker since 2000. She trained as a biochemist at Oregon State University and was accepted onto a postgraduate programme in biochemistry, but subsequently changed direction to pursue winemaking. She learnt her craft not in the classroom but directly from Oregon winemakers, including an internship with David Lett at The Eyrie Vineyards, as well as working at Torii Mor, Hamacher and for ten years as a winemaker at Scott Paul Wines. In 2007, she founded Kelley Fox Wines together with her father, Gershon ‘Gus’ Sterns.

The first vintage was released with an amount of 100 cases. Production has grown to around 5,500 cases a year, representing a wide range of wines. Since 2018, the wines have been produced at the ADEA Wine Company winery, owned by long-standing friends, about a ten-minute drive north of Carlton.

Vineyards

Fox does not own the land on which she works. She leases plots in several of the Willamette Valley’s finest vineyards and manages the agricultural work herself on the plots she owns. Her primary source is the historic Maresh vineyard in Dundee Hills, planted between 1970 and 1991 on a predominantly south-facing slope at an elevation of 500 to 700 feet. Other sites include the Weber vineyard (Dundee Hills, Pinot plantings from 1983 and 1988), the Carter vineyard (old vines from 1983), Canary Hill, Durant, Dux and Freedom Hill in the foothills of the Coastal Range, where she works with Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and young Pinot Noir. Several plots are cultivated organically and biodynamically, although they do not always hold the relevant certifications.

Terroir

The Willamette Valley lies between the Coastal Range to the west and the Cascade Mountains to the east. The climate here is cool and rainy in winter and dry in summer — ideal conditions for Pinot Noir. Soils vary depending on the plot. Maresh, Weber and most of Dundee Hills are situated on Jory — the region’s classic red volcanic soil, which lends Pinot Noir a silky texture. Freedom Hill features Bellpine marine sedimentary soil, an ancient seabed that Fox favours for white wines. Canary Hill is mainly volcanic, but her vineyard includes patches of sandstone and basalt.

Grapes

Pinot Noir forms the backbone of the range, complemented by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Albariño and a small batch of Early Muscat. Many of the Pinot vines she works with are between 40 and 50 years old, which means lower yields and more concentrated fruit.

Winemaking

Fox keeps things simple in the cellar. She harvests on days favourable from a biodynamic perspective, guided mainly by taste and intuition. Since 2015, her red wines have, in most vintages, been fermented from 100% whole bunches, without formal cold maceration. Fermentation takes place on natural yeasts for 12–20 days. There is no pumping over, only foot treading, which she does herself. The only regular addition is sulphur, with occasional chaptalisation or acidification in extreme years. The wines are aged in used French oak barrels; new oak has not been used since 2012. Bottling takes place approximately ten months after harvest, also on days favourable from a biodynamic perspective. Since 2008, she has been using biodynamic sprays on her plots in Maresh.

Wines

The range is organised by individual vineyards. The flagship Pinot Noir wines include Maresh’s ‘Liminal’ and ‘Mirabai’ from Dundee Hills, as well as wines from the single-vineyard estates of Weber, Carter, Canary Hill and Freedom Hill. As for the white wines, the range features Chardonnays from Durant and Dux, Pinot Blanc (including ‘Barbie’ from Freedom Hill, fermented in acacia barrels), Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner and the pale rosé ‘Nertus’, partially skin-fermented.

The style of all the wines is light, brightly aromatic and transparent, designed to allow each vineyard to express itself, rather than the winemaker.