Amity Vineyards

Black cherry, cranberry, crushed slate

BASS HILL VINEYARD

Bass Hill sits high on the cool, windy edge of the Coast Range. Originally planted in 1989, this own rooted, dry farmed vineyard is naturally low yielding and produces tiny thicky-skinned berries. The fruit from here makes a beautiful dark, structured wine. Unfined. Unfiltered. 

After a cold, damp winter we saw early spring heat that pushed bud break up a few weeks ahead of average. A heat spike around flowering caused potential yields to be reduced but would ultimately create small berries and loose clusters. The mild summer to fall temperatures allowed for great flavor development and concentration in the grapes. 2016’s wines are showing good concentration and intensity and have retained amazing freshness and acidity.

Vineyard Sources: 100% McMinnville AVA

Alcohol Content: 14.5% 

Residual Sugar: Dry

Honeycomb, peach cobbler, & apricot marmalade

AMITY VINEYARDS ESTATE 

Amity Vineyards was the first vineyard planted in the Eola-Amity Hills in 1971. The own-rooted, dry-farmed grapes have dug deep into the ground, past the thin topsoil to access ancient volcanic and marine sediment soils that give these wines a unique sense of place. Our 2013 select cluster Riesling is taken from these vines. It takes a very particular set of circumstances for the healthy botrytis fungus to set in and concentrate flavors, sugar, and acidity allowing us to create a dessert wine. 2013 was one of those years. This wine has bottle-aged for six years and will not only drink great right now but will age for decades to come. 

Vineyard Source: 100% Amity Vineyards

Cellar Treatment: 100 % Stainless Steel

Alcohol Content: 12.1% by Volume

Residual Sugar: 57.8%

Bottle Size: 375mL

Cases Produced: 172

Pomegranate, orange blossom, & forest floor

TEMPERANCE HILL VINEYARD 

Temperance Hill is a storied vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills that rests on a hilltop that was once the site of an ancient volcano. The thin topsoils allow the own-rooted, dry-farmed, organically grown grape to access these ancient volcanic soils that provide the grapes and resulting wine with a unique and specific sense of place. Dai Crisp, a legendary grower in the Willamette Valley has been farming this site since 1999 and knows how to get the best of the grapes on this land. We take a hands-off approach to making these wines and do not fine or filter them in order to allow full expression of the site. They are barrel-aged in French Oak and we select a handful of our favorite barrels from each year to showcase the best the vintage has to offer. 

In 2017 we finally had a wet winter that gave way to a cool and wet spring resulting in a mid-April budbreak. A warm May and mild June set the stage for a great flowering season that produced a very good fruit set. July was hot and sped the ripening process followed by the hottest August on record. September and October were warm and dry and helped to produce wines that are ripe without being overripe, providing generous fruit while still expressing nuance and balanced acidity.

When to Drink: This wine is drinking great in its youth and will get better over the next couple of years.

Vineyard Sources: 100% Eola-Amity Hills 

Cellar Treatment: Hand picked/cold soaked for 3 days with 30% whole clusters. Primary fermentation was natural, then pressed off to neutral French oak barrels for 18 months

Alcohol Content: 13.3% 

Residual Sugar: Dry

Black ruby plum, licorice, & orange zest

BASS HILL VINEYARD

Bass Hill sits at roughly 600ft elevation just outside of the Van Duzer Corridor in the McMinnville sub-AVA of the Willamette Valley. This eight-acre vineyard's position is on a south-facing slope in ancient marine sediment soils which creates the right conditions for the growth of world-class Pinot Noir. The 115, Pommard and Wadenswil clones of Pinot Noir each offer their own unique contributions to the blend. Dry-farmed and own-rooted, these grapes truly provide a sense of place. With naturally low-yields and small berries we are able to craft wines that have powerful tannins and concentration along with a brilliant backbone of acidity creating focus and tension. A truly special spot and one of our favorite vineyards that we farm. We take a hands-off approach to making these wines and do not fine or filter them in order to allow full expression of the site. Each year we select a handful of our favorite barrels from Bass Hill to produce a vineyard designate wine that represents the best of the vintage.

In 2017 we finally had a wet winter that gave way to a cool and wet spring resulting in a mid-April budbreak. A warm May and mild June set the stage for a great flowering season that produced a very good fruit set. July was hot and sped the ripening process followed by the hottest August on record. September and October were warm and dry and helped to produce wines that are ripe without being overripe, providing generous fruit while still expressing nuance and balanced acidity. These wines are drinking great in their youth and will get better over the next couple of years. 

Vineyard Sources: 100% McMinnville AVA

Alcohol Content: 13.3% 

Residual Sugar: Dry