2016 Soil Trilogy
One bottle each of our 2016 Clay Court Pinot Noir (Jory Soil), 2016 Five Mountain (Laurelwood Soil) & 2016 Mount Richmond (Willakenzie Soil). These wines make for 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 soil types here in the Willamette Valley.
Vintage
VINTAGE 2016 was a year of unusual weather that led to beautiful fruit at lower than average yields. In spring, an early heat spike meant a very condensed time frame for bloom. This gave us smaller than average berries and clusters and set us on the path for our third early harvest in a row. Thankfully, summer weather was cooler than average, which slowed down ripening and allowed flavor development to catch up to sugar accumulation. Due to our small initial crop estimates, we held off thinning until the last minute to delay ripening and add “hang-time”, an important factor in the development of complex flavors.
We were a little stunned when our first fruit hit the crush-pad in the last days of August, setting a record for our earliest harvest in 40 years. September and October brought relief from the heat with mild evenings and cool nights that allowed for slow, even ripening. We picked fruit that was absolutely pristine and perfectly ripe, at a gradual pace that allowed us to give our full attention to each block and work shorter hours than in a typical harvest season.
We are hopeful that 2016 will be just as great as the spectacular 2012 and 2014 vintages, and early signs indicate just that, with the wines showing moderate alcohols, balanced acids and great concentration.
Vineyard
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.
Winemaking
Varies – see individual wines.
Viticultural & Enological Data
- Vine Age Varies - see individual wines.
