Winemaker Notes
The 2015 growing season was the warmest, driest year on record in the recent history of the Willamette Valley. We were thankful for our strong winds from the Van Duzer Corridor, which bring a nice cooling effect in the heat of the afternoon. After an early bud-break in mid-April, the canopy grew rapidly over the next couple of months due to dry soils and warm temperatures. Despite the warmer season, the 2015 fruit retained a bright natural acidity, offering focus and vibrancy to each of the wines.
Home of some of the planet’s most amazingly elegant and expressive Pinot noir, the Willamette Valley is a pastoral, mixed landscape of green, bucolic rolling hills, dramatic forestlands and small, independent, friendly wine growers. As a leader in environmental stewardship, the valley has some of the nation’s most protective land use policies, with two-thirds of its vineyards farmed sustainably and over half, organically. While the valley claims a cool, continental climate, and is heavily influenced by the cold, moist winds of the Pacific Ocean, its warm and dry summers allow for the steady, even ripening of Pinot noir.
The potential of Willamette Valley Pinot noir continues to attract the investment of serious growers and winemakers both locally and from abroad, as naturally the finished wines bring accolades from professionals and enthusiasts. With a range of styles from delicate dried cherry, raspberry and hibiscus to stronger notes of truffle, mocha, plum and spice, a fine Willamette Valley Pinot noir is a perfect expression of both character and grace.