Winemaker's Journal
We enjoyed a beautiful, warm spring and summer. In contrast to a chilly 2022 season, 2023 gave us months of sunshine with no rainfall. I certainly took advantage of these days on my paddleboard on the Willamette River, while many other winemakers in the valley were on their gravel bikes or hiking in the Coastal mountains: pizza ovens and Pinot Noir on the back deck. As August approached, the grapes ripened quickly. We tasted great flavor development with each vineyard walk. The anticipation of harvest never goes away.
Harvest came and went in the blink of an eye. One of the shortest I’ve experienced, we picked all our fruit in 27 days, starting September 11 and ending October 8. The summer sun allowed every vineyard to achieve full ripeness, and the expression of fruit during fermentation was remarkable and very distinct. We used a couple of new yeasts on the Pinot Gris and continued refining the whole cluster and extended maceration on the Pinot Noir. The team was great this year; it really took the village to make it all happen in such a short time.
As exciting as that first truck of fruit is, we are equally excited when the last truck arrives, and harvest quickly winds down. We’re thankful to catch up on sleep, laundry, and meals with friends outside the winery.
What Leah's Pouring This Season
2022 Oregon Pinot Noir Rosé
I’ve been enjoying our Pinot Noir Rosé through the end of the year, and it’s perfect with cheese and charcuterie boards. I’m also bringing Willakia Pinot Noir to holiday parties and dinners. It’s a complex wine of forest floor, mushroom, and cedar yet tethered to its core with energetic cherry and boysenberry fruit flavors. It's excellent with turkey, duck, and prime rib.
Cheers!
“This is always an exciting and busy time of year, but one where we try to take a step back and recognize the hard work that has contributed to a successful vintage.”
~ Leah Adint