Winemaker Notes
Enticing aromas of fresh berries and earth tones on the nose of Failla Bjornson Gamay lead to soft tannins and food-friendly acidity.
Bjornson Vineyard, established in 2006, is positioned in the heart of the Eola-Amity hills. Situated at 450-560 ft. elevation with a mix of Nekia and Jory soils, this rocky, windblown outcrop hosts tiny clusters, ripe stems, and dense tannins.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Ripe cherries, plums, stewed strawberries, cloves and dark spices on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with ripe tannins and a plush, creamy texture. Concentrated, with a juicy and spicy finish. Drink now.
Delightfully playful, but also capable of impressive gravitas, Gamay is responsible for juicy, berry-packed wines. From Beaujolais, Gamay generally has three classes: Beaujolais Nouveau, a decidedly young, fruit-driven wine, Beaujolais Villages and Cru Beaujolais. The Villages and Crus are highly ranked grape growing communes whose wines are capable of improving with age whereas Nouveau, released two months after harvest, is intended for immediate consumption. Somm Secret—The ten different Crus have their own distinct personalities—Fleurie is delicate and floral, Côte de Brouilly is concentrated and elegant and Morgon is structured and age-worthy.
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.