Appellation: Tualatin Hills A.V.A.
Picking Date: 10 October 2024 (franc de pied vines planted in 1973)
Barrels: neutral Burgundy barrels (228L) made from tight-grain French forests
Bottling Date:  10 July 2025
Alcohol: 13.5 %
Whole Cluster: none this vintage
Cases Produced: 140 cases

A note from Kelley
In the late 1990s, I lived at a breathtakingly beautiful vineyard in the Coast Range foothills called “Tualatin Vineyard”.  All kinds of wild things live hidden in those forests. I remember visiting the nearby Shafer Vineyard (Miki and Harvey Shafer also ran a Christmas swag side hustle in addition to their vineyard and their winery, Shafer Vineyard Cellars.) and feeling like I was in some magical fairy place. When Ony Mora asked me whether I would make a small amount of wine from these self-rooted vines planted in 1973, there was no hesitation. Ony and Jesus have been managing and personally caring for pristine vineyards with consistent excellence for at least three decades. They are my friends, and they have been an important part of my winery for years.

The Shafer 2024 is an eye-clear jewel-like, rich ruby red. The nose is filled with delicious and perfectly ripe Boysenberry, blueberry, and red raspberry character with soft minerals and subtle spices. There is something cool (like the air in our old growth rainforests), fresh, and inviting about this wine. The mouth is rich without being heavy, and it takes its time on the palate and long finish. I love the depth and intensity of the 2024, and this quiet, powerful wine has enchanted me.

97 points Vinous Media
Drinking window: 2028 - 2039
The 2024 Pinot Noir Shafer Vineyard is dusty and floral, youthfully brooding, as dried black cherries come together with autumnal spices, nuances of cedar box and dried roses. It opens with a beautiful inner sweetness as seamless, round textures and juicy acidity propel its ripe wild berry fruit across the palate. The finish tapers off with dramatic length and potency, yet maintains marvelous freshness as a tinge of licorice mingles with subtly rounded tannins. The Shafer Vineyard, located in the Tualatin Hills, hails from own-rooted vines planted in 1973. Fans of Kelley Fox will not want to be without this glorious vintage.

The newest releases from Kelley Fox are soulful, transparent and highly expressive of site. Fox put herself on the map with wines from the Maresh Vineyard over the last decade, but starting in 2021, she began losing access to this source; the final bottling from the Maresh Vineyard was the 2023 Pinot Noir Liminal. However, that transition has not slowed the momentum of this portfolio. Fox quickly pivoted by locating new parcels throughout the Willamette Valley, expanding the range less by volume than by breadth.

The resulting lineup of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs is remarkably varied. Each wine reflects Fox’s non-interventionalist style and clear emphasis on terroir. In recent years, Fox has also moved into Chardonnay, producing wines that are pure and expressive, not to mention fairly priced. The Pinot Blancs are also notable — Fox is determined to show the potential of this variety in the region, and the Pinot Blanc Stater Vineyard makes a strong case. This range is impressively consistent across its many bottlings.- Eric Guido July 2026

97 points Audrey Frick (Jeb Dunnuck)
Maturity: 2026-2041
From the Tualatin Hills, the 2024 Pinot Noir Shafer Vineyard is bright and vibrant, with notes of orange zest, cranberry, bright roses, dusty earth, and terrific tension. Medium-bodied, it delivers mouthwatering acidity without ever becoming severe, alongside impressive salinity and elegance. Sourced from 1973 plantings in what Kelley calls a magical place, this is a wine Oregon wine pioneer David Lett would likely have appreciated. Drink over the coming 15 years.

I've been a longtime admirer of Kelley Fox's wines, particularly the ethereal style of her Pinot Noirs and nuanced white wines. The 2024 vintage, however, is something different. These wines have gained another dimension of depth and texture while retaining the energy, purity, and finesse that have long defined the estate. There is nothing lean or fragile about them, and the scores reflect what I believe is the finest collection of Pinot Noirs Kelley Fox has produced to date.