The Chardonnay Original Vines is a barrel selection. Since each barrel ferments with its own yeast and ages at its own rate, each barrel becomes very distinct. Before bottling, Jason tastes each barrel. Those barrels which speak to the longest aging potential become the Original Vines Reserve.
Certified organic. The oldest vines in the Willamette Valley are among the last surviving remnants of the Draper field selection, a French import from the 1930s now extinct outside of our region. Vines are non-irrigated and no herbicides, systemic chemicals or insecticides have ever been used in the vineyards. Upon harvest, the grapes from these venerable vines are gently destemmed, crushed and pressed in slow cycles. The wine ferments in mostly neutral French oak barrels and ages in our cool cellar for one year on the lees.
2016 started off with a warm, wet March, and continued with warmer than
average temperatures throughout the spring and summer. Fortunately, the
extra water early in the year prevented the vines from experiencing
drought stress in the summer. As we coasted through a warm summer, we
prepared for a harvest more than a month ahead of what we’d consider
normal. In September, just as harvest started, moderate temperatures
moved in. With cooler weather, fruit ripened at a leisurely pace. This
provided winemakers an unhurried opportunity to choose their fruit for
perfect ripeness.
