A fascinating horizontal tasting across soil types: three wines made with the same varietal, by the same winemaker from grapes grown on each of the three primary viticultural soil types here in the northern Willamette Valley.
INCLUDES ONE BOTTLE EACH:
2022 Clay Court Pinot Noir (Jory Soil)
2022 Five Mountain Pinot Noir (Laurelwood Soil)
2022 Mount Richmond Pinot Noir (Willakenzie Soil)
In vintage 2022 Mother Nature kept us on our toes with unusual weather at each end of the growing season. A wet, cold spring led into a long, temperate summer followed by a very sunny fall that brought us much-needed ripening.
What a surprise to have snowfall on April 11th, our region’s latest significant snow since 1942! Most of our vines had not yet leafed out and their tight woolly buds were well-protected. However, frost damage did mean a smaller crop at our Clay Court Vineyard. Other vineyard sites set a healthy crop, which we thinned heavily to increase intensity and encourage ripening. August and September were unseasonably warm, but the nights remained cool, helping us retain varietal character. Worries of late-season botrytis (rot) meant extra passes of hand-work in the vineyard pulling leaves to improve sunlight penetration and airflow. Thankfully, October welcomed a long string of sunny days and just exactly the hang-time and ripening we needed to bring grape sugar (brix) to ideal levels.
Harvest began in late September, with most fruit harvested during two very intense mid-October weeks. Many of our blocks achieved peak ripeness at the same time, so we are very thankful for our incredible crew for all of the early morning picking sessions in the vineyard and long days in the cellar. Expect complex, fruit-forward wines from this vintage.
Oregon has a wild geology shaped by volcanoes and floods, winds and time. This varied geology is one reason why the Northern Willamette Valley is an excellent area for growing grapevines. Today, the three dominant soil types for growing Pinot Noir in our region are Willakenzie, Laurelwood and Jory. It took us decades, but we now grow Estate Vineyards on each of these three soil types:
Willakenzie/marine sediment – Our Winery Estate (La Bohème, Roosevelt), Mount Richmond & Goodrich Vineyards
Laurelwood/windblown silt – Our Five Mountain & Windhill Vineyards
Jory/volcanic clay – Our Clay Court Vineyard
Our Soil Trilogy is a great way to experience three wines made with the same varietal, by the same winemaker from grapes grown on each of the three primary soil types here in the Willamette Valley.
Varies – see individual wines.
Join our mailing list for the latest updates & special offers from Elk Cove. We send around 1-2 emails/week.
You may unsubscribe at any time.
Review Soil Trilogy.