Dec 30, 2022
Search This Site:
Purple Hands
| Owner(s) | Cody Wright |
| Web site | www.purplehandswine.com |
| Link to this site |
Owner and winemaker Cody Wright is the son of noted Oregon winemaker, Ken Wright. His stepfather, Rollin Soles, runs Argyle Winery, and his mother, Corby Stonebraker-Soles, now married to Rollin, is a partner in ROCO. Cody grew up in the Willamette Valley and worked at wineries in Oregon, New Zealand and Australia. He now divides his time between working as assistant winemaker at ROCO Winery and his own brand.
The Purple Hands name and label were created to reference the contrast between winemakers' wine-soaked cellars, clothes and hands, to formal attire that winemakers don for wine events. The label for the Purple Hands Blend comes from a black and white picture of Ken Wright and Mike Etzel at a tuxedo dinner depicting their purple-etched hands contrasting with their tuxedos.
The 2009 Purple Hands Pinot Noir is from the Holstein Vineyard and the 2010 Purple Hands Pinot Noir is from Stoller Vineyard, both in the Dundee Hills.
Purple Hands wines are sold directly online and distributed to wine retail stores and restaurants. A winery and tasting room on located on Dundee's main drag has commendable green features.
Articles About Purple Hands
2014 Oregon Value Priced Pinot Noir Honorable Mention All-Americans (10.2 12/22/2014)
Large Review of 2009 & 2010 Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs With a Few from 2008 & 2011 (9.7 5/9/2012)
Sips of Recently Tasted Oregon Pinot Noir & More (9.42 5/25/2014)
Sips of Recently Tasted Pinot Noir & Chardonnay (11.13 11/12/2017)
Small Sips of Recently Tasted Willamette Valley AVA Pinot Noir (10.16 9/3/2015)
Reviewed Wines
2014 Purple Hands Freedom Hill Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., 500 cases, $38.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of dusty black cherry, baking spices and toasty oak. The flavor
profile veers to purple and black fruits with an earthy, mineral tone. Some oak plies the background and shows
up on the finish. The tannins are somewhat robust consistent with wines from this vineyard.
Score: 89.
Reviewed November 12, 2017
ARTICLE »
2013 Purple Hands Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.5% alc., $22.
·
Moderate reddish purple color in the
glass. Hard to find any fruit on the nose which offers aromas of cigar box, stem and oak. More satisfying on
the palate, with mid weight flavors of dark red and purple fruits in a simple style that has a soft mouthfeel, a riff
of oak, and demure fruit on the finish.
Score: 86.
Reviewed September 3, 2015
ARTICLE »
2012 Purple Hands Stoller Vineyard Dundee Hills Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.5% alc., 700 cases,
$24. Clones are 777 and Wädenswil.
·
Moderately dark reddish purple color. Very shy upon opening, slowly
revealing aromas of black raspberry, black plum and subtle oak. Middleweight flavors of dark stone and berry
fruits backed by muscular fine-grain tannins and a modest oak sheen. Rather linear at this time with the fruit
still compressed in tannins.
Score: 88.
Reviewed July 6, 2014
ARTICLE »
2012 Purple Hands Barbon Wahl Vineyard Chehalem Mountains Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.5% alc., 200 cases, $30. Pommard clone.
·
Demure
aromas of dark berry jam, spice and balsam. Juicy and appealing, with a
discreetly concentrated core of fresh, juicy dark red and black berries. The wine
possesses an admirable attack and finish with balanced tannins.
Score: 89.
Reviewed July 6, 2014
ARTICLE »
2010 Purple Hands Oregon Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., pH 3.69, $30,
screw cap. Sourced from Stoller Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. Clones
are Wädenswil and 777. 95% de-stemmed, 6-day cold soak, aged 9
months in 10% new and 90% neutral French oak barrels.
·
Moderately
light reddish-purple color in the glass. Very aromatic with bright scents
of dark cherries and berries, plum, wood spice and herbs. Medium
weight flavors of brandied cherries, red plums and savory herbs. Juicy and crisp
with mild tannins and an uplifting finish. Good (+).
Reviewed May 11, 2012
ARTICLE »
2014 Purple Hands Freedom Hill Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., 500 cases, $38. · Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of dusty black cherry, baking spices and toasty oak. The flavor profile veers to purple and black fruits with an earthy, mineral tone. Some oak plies the background and shows up on the finish. The tannins are somewhat robust consistent with wines from this vineyard. Score: 89. Reviewed November 12, 2017 ARTICLE »
2013 Purple Hands Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.5% alc., $22. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Hard to find any fruit on the nose which offers aromas of cigar box, stem and oak. More satisfying on the palate, with mid weight flavors of dark red and purple fruits in a simple style that has a soft mouthfeel, a riff of oak, and demure fruit on the finish. Score: 86. Reviewed September 3, 2015 ARTICLE »
2012 Purple Hands Stoller Vineyard Dundee Hills Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.5% alc., 700 cases, $24. Clones are 777 and Wädenswil. · Moderately dark reddish purple color. Very shy upon opening, slowly revealing aromas of black raspberry, black plum and subtle oak. Middleweight flavors of dark stone and berry fruits backed by muscular fine-grain tannins and a modest oak sheen. Rather linear at this time with the fruit still compressed in tannins. Score: 88. Reviewed July 6, 2014 ARTICLE »
2012 Purple Hands Barbon Wahl Vineyard Chehalem Mountains Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
12.5% alc., 200 cases, $30. Pommard clone. · Demure aromas of dark berry jam, spice and balsam. Juicy and appealing, with a discreetly concentrated core of fresh, juicy dark red and black berries. The wine possesses an admirable attack and finish with balanced tannins. Score: 89. Reviewed July 6, 2014 ARTICLE »
2010 Purple Hands Oregon Pinot Noir
13.5% alc., pH 3.69, $30, screw cap. Sourced from Stoller Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. Clones are Wädenswil and 777. 95% de-stemmed, 6-day cold soak, aged 9 months in 10% new and 90% neutral French oak barrels. · Moderately light reddish-purple color in the glass. Very aromatic with bright scents of dark cherries and berries, plum, wood spice and herbs. Medium weight flavors of brandied cherries, red plums and savory herbs. Juicy and crisp with mild tannins and an uplifting finish. Good (+). Reviewed May 11, 2012 ARTICLE »