Review: Wines of Bryn Mawr, 2026 Releases
We’ve encountered Bryn Mawr‘s wines a few times in the past. This Willamette Valley-based operation offers a prodigious collection of wines, including the usual Oregon suspects and a few ringers, one of which we check out below. Let’s dig in.
NV Bryn Mawr Brut Rosé (2026) – This Willamette sparkler has perhaps evolved a bit since our last look at it in 2024. Made without secondary fermentation — in other words, it’s carbonated wine — the dry rose features a modest berry profile, heavy on the strawberries, and finds itself infused significantly with floral notes of hibiscus and rose petals. Its effervescence is restrained but not unapproachable, giving the wine a bit of a soda-like quality — and a short finish that sees a fleeting touch of orange peel and grapefruit. Things turn a bit sour on the fade-out, though the ample acidity left my teeth feeling like they’d been freshly scrubbed at the dentist. B+ / $35
2023 Bryn Mawr Chardonnay Estate – Surprisingly crisp and citrus-forward, this lemony chardonnay eschews typical vanilla for a nuttier character, finding its way to notes of nougat and coconut cream as it develops in glass. Despite the appearance of a silkier body, the wine remains lively with its sharp fruit character clinging to the experience. The finish is almost tropical, with a pineapple kick and some lime leaf evident. Bracing and lively throughout. A- / $50
2023 Bryn Mawr Chardonnay Willamette Valley – A clean and quite citrusy chardonnay, big on lemon, its sharpness venturing into curd territory. From there, the wine keeps things surprisingly crisp and clean, though a gentle creaminess builds to a point of nuttiness, almond-adjacent. The wine becomes creamier as the finish builds, almost milky in the end, tempering the bright Lemonhead candy notes from the attack. A surprisingly different wine than the Estate, but just as engaging in its own special way. A- / $30
2023 Bryn Mawr Chardonnay Reserve Willamette Valley – This wine is quite a bit more aggressive than the above two chardonnays, with a bold attack that features Meyer lemon and tangerine, then honeysuckle and baking spice. Sharp and steely up top, it builds to show some salinity before the citrus comes rushing back into focus, the finish setting things up for a tropical ride, featuring mango and guava notes — all dusted with a pinch of salt. A- / $75
2023 Bryn Mawr Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – Clean and classic, with fresh notes of marionberry and raspberry popping right away. This wine is ripe and ready, lush with fruit and bounded by gentle notes of graphite, clove, and anise. The lightest touch of balsamic character rings the finish, adding some acidity that keeps the fruit in check. Balanced and bright, this is a textbook Oregon pinot that feels like it has years of life ahead of it — perhaps even improving over time as flavors coalesce. A- / $x
2023 Bryn Mawr Pinot Noir Estate – Somewhat underripe, with rhubarb and early season blackberry dominant, becoming rather Christmassy with notes of ginger, rosemary, and cloves emerging with time in glass. Fragrant incense notes give the back end a buzzy brightness that comes off as a bit unexpected, with dark cherry fruit and some cloves percolating on the finish. Ultimately it’s a bit more brooding than I’d expect for Willamette Valley fruit, but rather worth the journey. B+ / $50
2023 Bryn Mawr Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Reserve – Lots of similarity here with the Estate pinot, though even more hearty with a bold earthiness and a substantial, still-grippy tannin. Morello cherry provides a very tart, slightly sour core, giving the wine a brambly quality when considered with its forest floor elements. Graphite and some anise give the finish even more brooding savoriness, and while the wine presents today as a bit underripe, it does feel full of promise, its charms lingering under the surface. B+ / $75
2021 Bryn Mawr Tempranillo Eola-Amity Hills – Oregon tempranillo isn’t a style that one often encounters. Here it showcases the grape’s more herbal side, featuring anise and some gritty, dried thyme, comparatively laden with tannin and fibrous rhubarb notes. A pop of blueberry livens things up as the finish approaches, but even though this wine is now five years from harvest, it still comes across as rather youthful. How far it will mature is an open question. B / $60
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