Winemaker Notes
=Freedom Hill is located in the foothills of the coast range 10 miles southwest of Salem, Oregon. The Pinot Blanc vines were planted in 1993 and 2008 on well-drained very old sedimentary clay loam. It has a southeast exposure at an elevation of 475’ and benefits from heat rising off the valley floor during the day and cool ocean breezes at night.
The must was fermented 24% in an Acacia cask and 76% in tank and aged for eight months on the lees.
Pairs well with rich fish and shellfish dishes and is especially good with mussels.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
An aromatic nose of grapefruit, dried flowers and sliced almonds. Medium-bodied with steely mineral character. Good length and acidity here.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
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.