"COOLEST, COOL CLIMATE VARIETALS"

Red Wine

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2009 Bench Lands Pinot Noir

We source pinot noir fruit from a number of vineyards for this blend.   All have close proximity to the Umpqua River, none more than 25 miles distance from our winery in Elkton.  The commonality is that all are bench land type terroirs, ancient river borne deposits.   Some sites have stony alluvial soils, some are flood plains and some have sandstone, siltstone sedimentary clays.  The 100 Valleys of the Umpqua has a very diverse mix of soil types, the result of soils washed down from three different mountain ranges, with wildly different ages and composition, the Cascades, the Klamaths and the Coast Range.   All vineyard sites are influenced by the cool maritime air and fog that are drawn inland daily, preserving fresh berry/cherry fruit and bright acidity.  This wine has a lovely garnet color.  The wine has aromas of bing cherries with crushed dried tea roses, earth, pomegranate and blackberry candy.  The wine coats the palate with sweet cherry fruit, spice and a subtle smokiness.  This wine has a pleasing minerality, tannic structure and is balanced with fresh tasting acidity.  The aftertaste is quite long and lingering with a mouth coating, supple texture.   

4004 cases bottled under Stelvin  May 2011   Alcohol 13.3 by Vol.  3.59pH   TA 5.5g/L

Retail: $22 | Case: $237.60 | Buy

2008 Love Puppets Pinot Noir

Heralded as an ideal vintage 2008 really delivered the goods.  The season got a bit of a late start with a cold winter followed by a cool spring, but the summer and fall were temperate, and fortunately at the end dry.  Love Puppets is a composition emphasizing our most desirable pinot lots from dry farmed vineyards.  The northern reach of the Umpqua Valley is cooler and the soils are typically heavier clays than those found further south.  We believe dry farmed vineyards produce more concentrated fruit, expressing their sense of place.  So, what you will find in your glass is a marriage of our favorite places other than our own Estate.

 The color is a bright maroon with garnet edging.  The fruit aroma is tangy cherry and blueberry.  The bouquet is an herb garden framed in lavender with caramel, warm crème brule, vanilla and raspberry sweet tarts.  The flavors continue with ample blueberry notes followed by sweet cherry pie and allspice.  The mouthfeel is medium full with pleasing texture and a zingy cleansing finish.  We extended the barrel aging of this wine, but transferred to neutral oak after year one, preferring subtle maturation over acquiring aggressive barrel flavor characteristics.

Bottled (cork free) September 2010 | 1349 cases | 13.6% alcohol by volume

Retail: $30 | Case: $324 | Buy

2008 Ferris Wheel Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir

 A cold late winter didn’t end with the arrival of spring, keeping temperatures below normal.  Extreme heat ushered in May and then the weather settled down to near normal to slightly cooler conditions through summer until an early season freeze event in mid October.  At our elevation and with our maritime climate we escaped any damage.  The critical fall last ripening period was ideal, dry and temperate.  We brought our fruit in in absolutely perfect condition on October 24 at 23 Brix, .89TA and 3.41pH.  Our growing degree days only totaled 1717, once again showing that metric does not tell the whole story about ripe fruit.  Grapes as these make themselves into wine beautifully with no interference from the winemaker, one just stands back and marvels at the development.

 The vines had thinned themselves to a light crop load and the resulting wine has the deepest burgundy hue that we have seen to date from our Estate.  The fruit aroma is dark cherry, blackberry and raspberry jam.  The bouquet has a strong hit of cola with pie spices, juicy berry pie fresh out of the oven and mocha milk chocolate bonbons.   The dark fruits carry the flavors with a pleasing caress of candied orange rinds, pipe tobacco and black tea.  The mouthfeel and texture is medium bodied, with some zing that lingers.  This wine should develop more roundness with age for many years to come.  The 2008’s were given more time in barrel, but after year one, in older neutral oak.

SF International Wine Competition SILVER MEDAL

Wine Press Northwest Spring 2011-- OUTSTANDING!

Bottled (cork free) September 2010 | 280 cases | 13.3% alcohol by volume

Retail: $38 | Case: $410.40 | Buy

2006 Syrah

2006 Umpqua Valley, Oregon  Syrah 

In 2006 we contracted for our syrah from two Umpqua Valley vineyards, Marshanne Landing located on a rolling south facing bench near Oakland and Fox Hill Vineyard situated at 900 feet elevation with good south aspects near the town of Umpqua.  2006 was a warm vintage in Oregon with a dry fall and the fruit from these two sources were given maximum hang time.  We brought in 7.5 tons from Fox Hill October 14 and 2 tons from Marshanne October 22.  The fruit from both sites was very clean, fully ripe with sound acid balance.  We ferment our syrah in open top containers and manage the cap with hand punchdowns.  The must is allowed to ferment to dryness and the maceration is extended until the cap falls.  This extended time extracts flavor and color and softens the tannins.  After pressing the lots were aged in French oak, 30% new until blending and bottling in September.  This wine is an inky dark maroon in the glass.  The aromas are black pepper spice along with ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit with a touch of sage.  The flavors show big ripe marionberry fruit with pleasing pie spices.   The mouthfeel is round and full with well conditioned tannins and a nice balancing acidity.   It calls for aggressively herbed braised or grilled meat with hearty and rich sauces. 

Bottled September 2007  547 cases      14.4% alcohol by volume

Retail $20  case  $216.00 | Buy

2007 Hurrah Syrah

This dessert style wine is made from our favorite syrah grapes.  Aromas of blackberries and blueberries with warm, sensuous black and white pepper spiciness.  The flavors follow the same path with a very decadent full mouthfeel and a long lingering finish.  Enjoy as an after dinner sipper with toasted hazelnuts, dried fruits and stilton cheese, or of course....chocolate!

Bottled September 2009    339 cases   19% alcohol by volume

Retail $24  case $259.20 | Buy