Our vineyard is a 40-acre rocky hillside on the east face of the Amity Hills in the Northern Willamette Valley. This set of hills is the northernmost tip of the Eola Hills region. The soil types are Yamhill A and B on the upper slopes, blending into the Woodburn series at the lower part of the vineyard. These shallow sedimentary soils are the foundation of the signature black fruit qualities for which the Eola Hills are known.
To achieve a complete spectrum of flavors, we planted five clones of Pinot Noir: Dijon 115, 777, 114, 667 and the original Pommard. All are grafted onto 3309, a phylloxera-resistant rootstock. The planting is moderately high-density at 2,000 plants per acre, to help concentrate the flavors without compromising the health of the vines.
In our cool and unpredictable climate, we also employ labor-intensive practices throughout the growing season, to achieve uniformity of ripeness with the best possible balance of sugar, acid and flavors. Shoot positioning, all done by hand, is usually finished by the end of flowering, to optimize sun exposure and air flow. Then, the fruit is thinned to one cluster per shoot. Yields are limited to about 1 ton per acre.