Not Your Typical Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

Our vineyard is found on a simple hill that has been at the heart of the Willamette Valley wine story since the late 1880’s. Known as “Wine Hill” by the locals, this hill behind Forest Grove is hallowed ground. Our “Millerandage” line up of wines is an extension of that same history. Grown just off Highway 8 in deep loess soils, we specialize in the often maligned and misunderstood Chardonnay clone 548 and Pinot Noir clone 943. Both of these clones produce very small clustered grapes and can suffer from “hens and chicks” (aka millerandage). For us, this is an advantage, as the wines have high skin-to-juice ratios, resulting in an incredible tannic structure and high levels of natural acidity.

Having resisted being the 1,000 winery to make a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, I held out until there was a unique sourcing opportunity or compelling story to tell. I started working with these clones during the 2018 vintage and it took me a few vintages to make something that stood out.