Winemaker Notes
Laurel Vineyard sits at 1,250' elevation atop Bald Peak in the beautiful Chehalem Mountains AVA. This cooler site gives the grapes a chance to hang on the vines longer without over-ripening. This vineyard represents the perfect expression of what Teutonic looks for—while many of these grapes are used for sparkling wine, Barnaby loves crafting still red wine here, allowing him to make Pinot Noir in his signature style. This is truly an Alpine wine!
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.