Tyrus Evan

I noticed the term “genius loci” printed on Tyrus Evan brochures while visiting the winery in Carlton, but in my haste to capture the essence of the place, I forgot to ask the tasting-room personnel what the Latin term meant. Genius forgetful.

Ken Wright, owner/winemaker of Ken Wright Cellars as well as Tyrus Evan, is intimately familiar with cool-weather grapes. He ought to be; Ken was instrumental in the development of subappellations in the Willamette Valley AVA. Ken Wright Cellars is synonymous with pinot noir, yet with Tyrus Evan Ken has done a 180, focusing exclusively on warm-weather grapes. With great appreciation for his vineyard partners, Ken sources grapes from three distinctive grape-growing vineyards: Washington Red Mountain’s Ciel du Cheval; Walla Walla’s Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards; and southern Oregon’s Del Rio Vineyard. Tyrus Evan production includes a claret and syrah from each region, and a cabernet franc and Malbec from Del Rio Vineyard. These are complex wines, intensely fruit-forward with lingering finish — polar opposites of pinot noir. Without a doubt, Tyrus Evan adds to Ken’s overall winemaking résumé and rich portfolio of product.

Tyrus Evan is located at The Depot, which, for many years, served as the train depot for Carlton. Ken purchased The Depot in 2001 and, following a complete overhaul, opened the renovated space in 2003, christening it Tyrus Evan, a combination of his two sons’ middle names. I haven’t a clue what the “before” picture of this place looked like, but I can testify that the “after” picture is beautiful. In addition to offering a variety of “warm-weather” wines to experience, WineTrail visitors can also splurge in one of the more tasteful gift shops in the Northwest. Here, you can buy specialty and gourmet foods, along with books, picnic supplies, gifts, and collectibles. Outside the tasting room, you’ll find plenty of table space to seat you and 20 of your best friends for an afternoon picnic, with no shortage of wine.

By the way, according to Wikipedia, in contemporary usage, “genius loci” most commonly refers to a location’s distinctive atmosphere, or a “spirit of place.” Now I get it.