95 points Vinous Media
Drinking window: 2028 - 2038
The 2024 Pinot Noir Witness Tree Vineyard is hauntingly dark and floral, with a whiff of blood orange, crushed violet and dusty earth giving way to dried black cherries. This is soothingly round and silken in feel, with polished red and blue fruits that flow beneath a perfumed air of inner florals. The 2024 becomes spicy through the finish, like liquid incense, as nuances of red plum fade. There is a lot of potential here, but patience will be necessary.

Ken Pahlow of Walter Scott described 2024 as a year of reduced yields due to an April frost and a cold snap during flowering, followed by disease pressure, gentle ripening and a later harvest. He added, “Everyone knows I like low yields.” This lineup of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays balances ripe fruit with minerality over a stern acidic core. Because the 2024s remain tightly wound, the entire range, including the whites, was decanted before this tasting. The reds show deft tannin management and should mature well. Pahlow commented, “I've been increasing the whole-cluster percentage, now around 30-60%. I'm also bottling Pinot Noir earlier to capture the freshness and crunchiness of the vintage.” These adjustments have worked well. Chardonnay has long been the strength of this house and remain the benchmark here, especially the single-vineyard bottlings from Koosah and X Novo. Pahlow added, “The 2024 whites have very low pH levels of 3.1 to 3.18.” These wines show crackling tension on the palate. Also of note, the red wines here have shown steady improvement over the past few years. Walter Scott remains one of the most consistent portfolios in the Willamette Valley.