12/19/2025
On Sunday, the Willamette Valley lost a titan in Bill Fuller at age 88.
Bill was one of the Willamette Valley’s pioneers, and one of a very select few that was continuing to make wine up until this year. After resettling his family to Oregon in 1973, Bill co-founded Tualatin Vineyards with Bill Malkmus and began planting what would later become known as Tualatin Estate. I first enjoyed Bill’s early Tualatin Vineyards wines in 1980, and in 1984 his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay captured Best of Show honors in both the red and white categories at the London International Wine Competition, presented by the Queen, an unparalleled achievement in the event’s history. In 1989 he became the first Oregon winemaker to break through on Wine Spectator’s list of Top 100 Wines, a common occurrence 36 years later. He continued to make terroir-driven wines up until the end and released his 50th vintage earlier this year.
When we were starting Lavinea in early 2014 we eagerly accepted the offer to work with grapes from two of Bill’s first 1974 plantings at Tualatin - planted on their own roots and dry-farmed for 40 years. As we began to get to know the vineyard it clearly stood apart within our portfolio for its’ delicacy and complexity. A quote from Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyard perfectly frames Lavinea’s Tualatin Estate Pinot Noirs…
“Because we are so widely exposed to wines that are ‘big’ and loud, we generally don’t respond so well to wines that say what they have to say in a much quieter fashion.”
… and Tualatin Estate has a lot to say. Please join us in raising a glass to Bill Fuller’s legacy!
