Pinot Noir

Red raspberry, lilac & thyme

WILLAMETTE VALLEY 

A blend of predominately Eola-Amity Hills vineyards.

After a string of vintages with above-average temperatures, 2019 was a return to a cooler and wetter year. Although the growing season started off on the warm side, we experienced a mild and wetter than average summer. The mild temps allowed for long hang time and lower sugar accumulation. We had a compressed harvest with a number of rain showers that had us picking as much as we could during the dry windows between storms.

The wines are looking good with low alcohols, vibrant acidity, beautiful aromatics, and great transparency.

Vineyard Sources: 100% Willamette Valley

Cellar Treatment: 100% French oak for 8 months

Alcohol Content: 13.5% 

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

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