Winemaker's Journal

It’s been a beautiful summer in the Willamette Valley. The growing season has been perfectly average – not too cold, not too hot; just the way Pinot Noir likes it. Our viticulture team is busy moving wires, leafing, and hedging. We are on track for a mid-September start to harvest.

In the winery, we’ve gotten through bottling for the year and I’m starting to put together the 2023 single vineyard wines. I start by tasting each barrel individually, I’m looking for freshness, balance, intensity, and quality of aromas and flavors. Then I start putting trial blends together – combinations of different barrels to add complexity, texture, and richness. Sometimes a 2% change can make all the difference. Blending is a wonderfully fun part of winemaking; I really enjoy seeing these wines develop in barrel and start to take on their final form.