Kelley Fox ‘Mirabai’ Pinot Noir 2021

Kelley Fox Wines is a small winery created in 2007 along with my father, Gerson “Gus” Stearns. Kelley has lived in the Willamette Valley since the late 80’s. The first vintage (2007) started with just over 100 cases. The annual case production is now around 5500 cases, from vineyards including the historic Maresh Vineyard (1970-1991 vine ages), Hyland Vineyard (through 2019), Freedom Hill Vineyard, Weber Vineyard (1983 and 1988 Pinot), Durant Vineyard (Chardonnay, Pinot gris, and starting in 2022, Pinot noir), Dux Vineyard (Chardonnay), Carter Vineyard (1983 old vine), and Canary Hill Vineyard.

Full-time, year-round, on-the-floor Oregon Pinot noir winemaker since 2000. Her education includes a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology from Texas AM University. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual degrees in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University and was admitted to the PhD program in Biochemistry. Her winemaking experience includes Torii Mor, Hamacher, The Eyrie Vineyards, and ten years as winemaker at Scott Paul Wines (August 2005 to about mid-April 2015). Since then, I have happily worked for my own winery exclusively. Starting with the harvest of 2018, I have been producing my wines at the winery of dear, longtime friends, Ann and Dean Fisher of ADEA Wine Company.

The wines are made to reflect the land, the vines, the fruit of the vines, the year, and everything else unknown and unseen that comes with those things. They are Oregon wines, and hopefully, they are wines specifically of their vineyards. That said, the wines are not really “made” at all. Her winery emphasizes terroir‑driven Pinot noir and Chardonnay with small, carefully made lots. Her style is often described as intuitive, soulful, and anti‑commercial, valuing purity, elegance, and a deep connection to place; she speaks about the land, trees, and spiritual inspiration behind her wines in interviews and profiles.

The colour is a shining, brilliant, transparent light red. The nose is full of sun-warmed Hood strawberries and a little spice, but not the sun of a hot summer day, but one of a late spring day, with both a welcome sunshine from above and a fresh coolness like the dew of a spring morning not yet warmed.

Winefront

Kelley Fox ‘Mirabai’ Pinot Noir 2021 – 93+ / 100 Points

Red fruit, quite earthy and ferrous, a cherry lolly top note, slight smokiness, dried flowers. Light to medium-bodied, fresh, red fruited, rhubarb, with some turned earth, light tannin grip, bright sappy acidity, and a finish of good length. Nice

– Gary Walsh