12 Mar Please The Palate Wine of the Week: WillaKenzie Tourdion Estate Cuvee Blanc 2022, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, OR

Food and wine pairing is an art that transforms a meal into an experience, elevating both the dish and the wine to something greater than the sum of their parts. At its best, it’s a harmony of flavors, textures, and aromas that enhances enjoyment, engages the senses, and deepens appreciation for both culinary and winemaking traditions. A tasting menu will be expertly paired with a wine to enhance each course. But when you have one wine that can be enjoyed throughout a meal, harmonizing with different dishes, it is a memorable wine, like the WillaKenzie Tourdion Estate Cuvee Blanc 2022, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About WillaKenzie Tourdion Cuvee Blanc

I recently had lunch with WillaKenzie winemaker Erik Kramer and so enjoyed his Chardonnay that is was my wine of the week a few weeks ago. I then took a trip up to Oregon where I saw Erik, and he shared a bottle of wine with me that had intrigued me when we had first met and he told me about it. My curiosity had been piqued by blend as it is 46% Pinot Noir, 22% Pinot Gris, 19% Pinot Blanc, and 13% Pinot Meunier. And it is a white wine.

The WillaKenzie Estate is a 400-acre property, with 100 acres planted to grapes, primarily Pinot Noir. There are small amounts of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Meunier planted. The final blend is inspired by the Alsace region, and the wine is named for a French dance from the 16th century Burgundian court. This wine is an expressive dance of four varieties of Pinot (Noir, Blanc, Gris, and Meunier). The 2022 vintage is the first vintage that included Pinot Meunier in the final blend.

Tasting Notes

The grapes were hand harvested and gently whole-cluster pressed. The juice was then fermented and aged for 16 months on the lees in a combination of neutral French oak puncheons and barrels. The resulting wine is elegant, with aromas of pineapple and lime and mineral notes. On the palate, the wine is balanced with a lovely richness on the midpalate countered by its energetic acidity and long finish.

Food Pairing

I decided to open this bottle of wine to enjoy with a tasting menu at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newburg, Oregon. My initial look at my menu choices had me thinking that an elegant white wine would work with a variety of dishes, and it did! The minerality and acidity with the midpalate richness made this wine a great pairing with four dishes:

Ocean Experience with scallop crudo, miso uni mousse, seaweed, squid ink peals, ginger sand, and blood orange foam.

Warm Mushroom Salad with winter chicories, hazelnuts, briar rose maia cheese, warm mustard vinaigrette

Black Cod with celeriac puree, carrot, radish, black olive caramel, puffed wild rice, bagna cauda sauce.

Cheese Course: Whipped Briar Rose Diary Fromage Blanc with pear mostarda, spruce tip-honey foam, and warm brioche

One single wine, the WillaKenzie Tourdion Estate Cuvee Blanc 2022, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, OR, was able to pair with my entire meal, elevating the entire experience and leaving a lasting impression.

Where To Purchase

The WillaKenzie Tourdion Estate Cuvee Blanc 2022, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, OR retails for $45 and is available for purchase on the WillaKenzie website.