2017 Blanc de Blancs
Vigorous tiny bubbles introduce this zesty sparkling wine with aromatics of lemon meringue pie and fresh apricot. A slight herbal bite of thyme and eucalyptus lends interest to this bright, steely wine’s primary Meyer lemon and apricot flavors.
Part of our 2017 Trio of Méthode Traditionelle Single Vineyard Sparkling Wines. Three distinctive expressions of Oregon Sparkling Wine: Brut Rosé, Brut & Blanc de Blancs.
Vintage
VINTAGE 2017 was a classic Oregon vintage with plenty of sunny days and refreshingly cool nights. It was also the first year since our wines were 100% estate grown, created entirely from grapes we own and farm. We now have full control as we care for our vineyards and soils for generations to come. “Estate Grown” is now proudly displayed on each of our labels.
After three early harvests in a row, 2017 brought us back to what many consider “classic Oregon weather.” A wet, cool spring led to a late start to the growing season with an early June bloom. Dry, hot weather in July and August meant great ripening as we thinned clusters to protect quality. Worries of smoke taint during the Columbia Gorge fires proved unfounded in our area, but hazy skies slowed September ripening slightly.
We began bringing in fruit in mid-September, but were interrupted by rain a few times in late September and mid-October. With 40+ vintages under our belts and hillside vineyards at diverse elevations we were able to choose the right windows to pick beautifully ripe fruit from each block. Sometimes this meant pulling long hours: in fact October 9th was our biggest day on record, with 110 tons landing on the crush-pad. Expect ripe tannins, fully developed flavors and classic cool climate freshness in these 2017 vintage wines.
Vineyard
Elk Cove Vineyards purchased Goodrich Vineyard in 2014. A 69 acre property planted with 21 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Goodrich Road sits just outside the town of Yamhill, Oregon in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.
Goodrich Vineyard was planted in 2007 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in high-density a format. The property boasts the exact same marine sediment (Willakenzie) soil as our Mount Richmond property and lies just a few miles from our Estate Vineyard in Gaston.
We were so impressed by the quality of the fruit from this young vineyard we decided to make a Single Vineyard Pinot Noir in our very first year of farming the site.
Winemaking
100% CHARDONNAY
Blanc de Blancs translates to “white from whites” meaning it is a white wine made from white grapes, often Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs are typically linear with bright, citrus flavors.
Our Goodrich Blanc de Blancs is cool-fermented in steel tanks using a traditional Champagne yeast to retain the bright freshness of a traditional Blanc de Blancs. Residual sugar 2.4 g/L 195 cases made.
Viticultural & Enological Data
- Vine Age 12 years
- Harvest Sugars 18
- Cases Produced 195
