The 2018 Estate Pinot Noir expresses the terroir of our three vineyards — the original planting by Founder Jim Bernau at the winery in the Salem Hills, Tualatin Estate planted by Oregon wine pioneer Bill Fuller in the foothills of the Coastal Range and Elton planted by Dick and Betty O'Brien on the east face of the Eola-Amity Hills.
Sourced exclusively from 15 acres of Pinot Noir from the first plantings at the Estate Vineyard, Founder Jim Bernau planted these vines using a Christmas tree planter pulled behind his 33 horsepower tractor. He grafted the French clones 667 and 777 on a portion of the vines when they became available.
Our Tualatin Estate Vineyard rests in the foothills of the Oregon Coast range and is one of the oldest plantings in Oregon, planted in 1973 by Oregon wine pioneer Bill Fuller. The unique Laurelwood soil profile at the Tualatin Estate Vineyard contributes to the complex nature of the wines.
Sourced from old vine plantings at our Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills founded in 1983 by Dick and Betty O'Brien, a former schoolteacher and Executive Director of the Santiam Girl Scouts.
An illustration of the art of blending, the Signature Cuvée is selected from the finest barrels sourced from our Estate, Elton and Tualatin Estate Vineyards. It is a wonderfully complex wine that delivers an array of concentrated fruits, earth, game, floral, spice and rich oak accents. On the palate, this wine shows a harmonious balance of structure, weight, and acidity with ripe tannins and a lingering finish. With site driven diversity, we are able to craft this wine to our precise and quality standards.
Our 2016 AVA Pinot Noir Series represents the different areas within the Willamette Valley American Viticulture Area including Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton. Made with the same winemaking techniques, these wines express the terroir of their unique vineyard sites.
The bouquet opens with aromas of jammy red fruit, smokiness and minerality that continue on the palate with the additions of dark chocolate and game. Silky tannins, balanced by lively acidity that provides finesse through its bold personality.
