Vintage

2005 was an interesting year, with one of the driest winters and wettest springs on record! And unlike recent vintages that brought warmer weather, early ripeness and higher alcohol, this year’s harvest occurred later than most expected, resulting in cooler temperatures that will lead to lower alcohol levels, structured acidity and ideal flavor development. Vintage 2005 in the Willamette Valley will be a return to finesse and elegance, which has long characterized classic Oregon wines. Winemaker Adam Godlee Campbell states, “these are not the big block buster pinots of 2003. Instead they are pretty, food-friendly wines with great aging potential, showing a purity of fruit.”

Vineyard

Roosevelt vineyard was planted in 1994 and has quickly become Elk Cove’s most prized vineyard site. A four-acre high-density (2100 vines per acre) planting situated just south of the winery on Willakenzie soils, Roosevelt’s south-facing hillside slopes to a steep precipice overlooking the magnificent Williams Canyon.

Roosevelt undergoes extensive pruning and cluster thinning to limit yields and maximize ripening to concentrate the fruit and is managed using completely organic practices. All of these elements combine to consistently produce one of Oregon’s finest Pinot Noirs.