2009 Pinot Blanc

Vineyard

We are the oldest winery and the second oldest vineyard in what has recently been recognized as the McMinnville AVA. The unique thing about this subregion of the Willamette Valley is that eroded marine sedimentary soils dominate many of the vineyard sites. Most other Oregon vineyard areas are strongly influenced by volcanic soils, while our site consists primarily of marine sediments and heavy clay soils that produce a Pinot Blanc with great intensity of flavor and complexity.

Vintage

The 2009 growing season began with three months of above average temperatures coupled with lower than average rainfall.
Bud break in the 2009 season had a one week head start compared to 2008. Rainfall increased throughout the pre-bloom period and temperatures remained higher, resulting in gorgeous bloom conditions and bountiful fruit set.Temperatures spiked into triple digits in July, but cooled to normal levels for August as we eased into veraison. Lack of rain around our picking schedule meant grapes could hang until they reached optimal ripeness.

Winemaking

Grapes were hand-picked and delivered to the crush pad in perfect condition. They were meticulously hand sorted and lightly de-stemmed. The fruit was gently pressed, settled overnight and transferred to stainless steal tanks for a cool fermentation that encouraged an array of flavors.