A visit to Hundred Suns Winery
Finding Soul in the Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is home to some gorgeous views and experiences. Having been carved out by mother nature over 15,000 years ago due to the Missoula Floods, it is fertile and dramatic. You can sit on top of beautiful vineyards at the top of hills that bring in cooling winds from the Pacific Ocean 40 miles away and be given lovely sunsets at all times of the year. While there certainly are many wineries that appeal to such experiences, there are others that embody the Maverick and Dreamer aesthetic that has been a big part of Oregon for decades. These producers are here for different reasons. They are here to do things by hand and make wine in as deliberate of a way as possible. One of the best, up and coming producers that falls into this category are the wines of Hundred Suns.
To pay a visit to Hundred Suns in McMinnville Oregon is to experience a winery at its most honest level. This isn’t the idyllic tasting room looking out at the vineyards where you can take great pictures to show off to your friends. No, this is about experiencing a winery at the source. It is about being amongst barrels in a warehouse while standing and talking with the people who make and sell the wine. And…..it is what I love best about the Willamette Valley.
Grant Coulter and Renee Saint-Amour easily fall into the Maverick and Dreamer type that was noted above. Hundred Suns is the result of careful planning and dedication. Grant started off in Oregon as the Assistant Winemaker at the legendary Beaux Freres before being promoted to the Head Winemaking position there. He spent a good 10 years honing his craft before starting up Hundred Suns in 2015 as a then passion project before moving onto Flaneur as their head winemaker. Renee spent her time teaching high school before that fateful decision to start up Hundred Suns where she would be the principal cog in starting up the business. In 2018 they were able to fully buy a vineyard so that their full vision could be realized while still buying grapes from selected sites around Oregon. Today, you get a wonderful mix of wines from the Willamette Valley along with wines coming from the Rocks District in the Columbia Gorge AVA to add some thick-skinned grapes to the mix.
The winemaking style is one that leans into expression of the grape and site. This may be an oft-repeated phrase, but Hundred Suns absolutely adheres to it. They utilize old barrels for as minimal of oak influence on the wine as possible as well as clay amphorae for a full expression of just the grape. But this really isn’t about aesthetic or selling you on some well-trodden story. Instead, it’s more about pushing the boundaries and seeing what the grapes can achieve when given extreme dedication and time. They work with many vineyards that possess vines that are 30+ years old and sit at just enough altitude for the grapes to fully ripen. What this fully means is that they put in a lot of dedication to what goes in your glass and being able to enjoy it as soon as the cork is opened.
I recently had the good fortune to visit Hundred Suns. Harvest had just ended, so they were able to accept visitors again. You do need to email them ahead of time and find a time that works because they are a small team and you are tasting in their place of work. But, that’s what makes it so much fun! You are tasting in a cellar and getting to talk to either Grant or Renee, aka the people that actually make the wine. What better way to get the full insight into the wines you’re tasting. Below is the lineup that was poured for us and it was a great cross section showing that they can do more than make really good Chardonnay and Pinot Noir!!
2022 Hundred Suns Pinot Noir Bednarik Vineyard- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Tualatin Hills
The nose is heady and flowing with fresh and balanced tones of crushed rocks, herbs, dark red cherries, raspberries, savory spices, sour red berries, violets, and some rose petals. There is excellent depth and a real sense of style to the nose that is just so enticing and pretty. The Medium/full bodied feel shows off the style and balance of the nose as well as tart, medium+ acidity and refined, medium tannins. This is just so pretty right now to where I wonder what its upper limit may be with 5+ years of aging. (93 pts.)
2022 Hundred Suns Syrah The Rocks District Le Mani- USA, Oregon, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater
The nose is pungent and mineral-driven with a whole load of crushed rocks and dusty notes before leaning into tones of dark red cherries, olive brine, raspberries, fresh herbs, violets, cocoa nibs, spice notes, and some wild flowers. The nose is just slightly wound a smidge tight right now. The Medium/full bodied feel is well balanced and quietly robust with fresh, medium+ acidity and youthful, medium+ tannins. There is an expressive quality that wants to blossom, but the structure is noticeably youthful. This can definitely use a few years of aging to show off what it’s all about. (92 pts.)
2023 Hundred Suns Pinot Meunier Pamar Vineyard- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor
The nose is pungent and savory with tones of crushed rocks, raspberries, dark red cherries, baking spices, plums, licorice, savory herbs, and some violets. There is excellent balance and depth that is expressive already. The Medium/Full bodied feel shows the savory qualities of the nose along with crisp, medium+ acidity and chewy, medium+ tannins. The structure still has a fair bit of youth on this. I can see this turning it up a notch with another 4+ years of aging. (92 pts.)
2023 Hundred Suns Chardonnay Old Eight Cut- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
The nose is lifted and fresh with balanced tones of peaches, limes, red apples, nectarines, white flowers, white fruits, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla extract. The Medium bodied feel is well balanced and poised with crisp, medium+ acidity that has a little bite. This is such a great value and Hundred Suns consistently does a great job with it. This can certainly use a few years to fully come together, but it’s meant to be more of a near-term drinker. (90 pts.)
2023 Hundred Suns Gamay Noir- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
The nose is fresh and juicy with balanced tones of bright red fruits, red cherries, blueberries, fresh picked berries, crushed rocks, wildflowers, and violets. The Medium bodied feel shows off the freshness and juiciness of the nose along with crisp, medium+ acidity and silky, medium tannins. This is a fun and lovely Gamay that hits all of the notes well. (89 pts.)