2021 Amity Vineyards Temperance Hill Pinot Noir

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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. 

The 2021 growing season began with a relatively mild winter followed by a spring that yielded near-average rainfall punctuated by a spell of early season warmth in mid-April. This burst of sunshine lead to buds bursting one to two weeks earlier than average. Then came a peak of unseasonably hot days in early May, a valley of cool toward the end of the month, and another bump of heat in early June. After these temperature swings, much of the state experienced a late rain event right around bloom, contributing to another vintage of what turned out to be below-average yields (though certainly an improvement over the record low yields of 2020). Late June brought the most memorable weather event of the vintage in the form of a “heat dome” over the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia breaking records for three straight 100+ degree days. This unprecedented heat came at a time that ultimately did not significantly affect established vineyards, though it did result in young vine losses for those who were either unlucky or unprepared

For much of the growing season temperatures were above average, with the distinct and ideal turn of temperatures cooling off during the harvest season of August-October, allowing the moderate crop to comfortably achieve complex fresh fruit restrained and focused by retained acidity.

Vineyard Sources: Temperance Hill

Cellar Treatment: 100% Barrel Aged in Neutral French Oak for 18 Months

Alcohol Content: 13% 

Residual Sugar: Dry

PH:

3.67

TA

5.2 g/L

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Why choose us?

A Storied Vineyard

What makes Amity so unique are the nearly 50-year-old own-rooted vines. They’ve had decades to work through the thin topsoil to dig deep into the ground and access these ancient nutrient-deprived soils. The combination of the vine's age, the absence of artificial inputs, and dry farming practices mean they are naturally low yielding. When vines have a lower crop load they can devote more resources to the grapes which leads to a better concentration of flavor.