Hamilton Russell’s Oregon project—launched in 2019 by Hemel-en-Aarde proprietor Anthony Hamilton Russell—puts the estate’s Pinot Noir experience to work in the Willamette Valley. The 2019 Hamilton Russell Oregon Pinot Noir “Zena Crown” is a single-vineyard wine from Zena Crown in the Eola-Amity Hills, a cool, wind-influenced site in the Van Duzer Corridor’s path. It’s also firmly varietal: 100% Pinot Noir, listed at 13.5% alcohol.

Critics largely agree on a style that favors perfume, precision, and structure over sheer weight, and the top reviews are excellent. Vinous awarded 94 points, with Josh Raynolds calling it “shimmering magenta” and highlighting “expressive aromas of fresh raspberry and boysenberry” layered with “potpourri, cola, vanilla and exotic spices.” He notes how it “blends depth and vivacity,” bringing “Chambord, blue fruit and spicecake flavors” plus “a touch of mocha,” finishing with “smooth, even tannins” and a “very long, sappy finish.”

Decanter is close behind at 93 points, describing fruit from Zena Crown as “a wine of pure elegance.” The note emphasizes lift and detail—“violets, rosehips, clove and fresh mint…alongside a strawberry balsamic note”—then turns to a palate that is “amply structured for great longevity,” with “brambleberry fruits, thyme, candied strawberry and earthen minerality.” Decanter calls it “a wonderful wine” and expects it to “further reveal itself over the next 10–15 years.”

Wine Enthusiast (91 points) reinforces the restrained direction, praising its “lighter approach to Pinot Noir” and “bright raspberry fruit in a tangle of fresh herbs,” “circled with lemon zest,” with “the subtle power of a fine village Burgundy,” recommending another “three to five years” of bottle age. Overall, it’s a balanced, age-worthy Eola-Amity Pinot with notable aromatic range and staying power.