Quality Vineyards

There must be a measure of "good karma" in recent developments here. Twenty six years ago, I set out to find that special slope of ancient volcanic Jory soil here the most elegant and layed flavors of Pinot Noir could be grown. I selected this property in the Salem Hills, in part, because it had disappointed its pioneer homesteaders with small "whisky" prunes - promising to produce small clusters and berries of intense Pinot Noir. Dan Dusschee, owner of Freedom Hill Vineyards helped me plant the first vines here.

As I learned more about growing Pinot, other locations in the valley proved each unique terrior would yield special attributes. I love the rose petal aromas in the Pinot Noir from the Tualatin Estate Vineyard and pursued the grapes for years until its founder decided to retire. I borrowed way too much to buy it in 1997 and fortunately paid off the mortgage a few months ago. Now we have this remarkable Pinot without the stress. We have the eighty acres of old, self-rooted vines plus over 100 acres of new plantings we've made there - now comprising the majority of our Pinot Noir blend. This Laurelwood soil is complex with a deep volcanic substructure overlaid with glacial age loess (blown) soil and Missoula Flood sediment topped with Mt. Hood eruptive iron balls varying in size from sand to ball bearings.

Over time, the Eola Hills range has produced some of Oregon's top Pinots from its deep, volcanic Jory soil, in particular Elton Vineyards planted by Dick and Betty O'Brien in 1983, the same year I began planting. We have been lucky to get a little Pinot from them over the years as their fruit was sought after by top Pinot winemakers from Oregon and California. This site produces silky, sexy, viscous Pinot Noir with rich, earthy bass tones.

Just this past month, I signed a long term lease securing all of the O'Brien's grapes after the current contracts expire. We are tending these vines now for Ken Wright, Fiddlehead, Bethel Heights and others.

We also have been lucky to secure a little Pinot from Dan's Freedom Hill Vineyard. His soil is ocean bottom that was pushed up millions of years ago when tectonic forces lifted Oregon out of the ocean. His Pinot is the most masculine and structured requiring more bottle aging.

I am looking forward to a warm spring and watching the vine's buds push during my daily walk through the vineyard.

Jim Bernau
Founder/President

From the Tasting Room - Flavors & Aromas

Flavors & Aromas

How do you get graham crackers and citrus into the bottle?

Most wineries have tasting notes to describe their wines. Professional judges may have written about “overtones of plum and black cherry with subtle hints of citrus, graham crackers and earthiness.” The average taster may read that, taste the wine, and experience none of those things. Who is right?

Every wine taster is right in what he experiences. Everyone’s palette is different. Because you don’t experience plum or cherry does not mean you are wrong. It only means your tongue is not identical to whoever wrote the notes. The most important thing is your like or dislike of the wine.

Good wine is never adulterated with fruit juices or flavorings. All the flavors are natural. As the grapes grow in the vineyard, the vines are influenced by the growing conditions—the “terroir”—of each vineyard. Soil, moisture, sunlight, elevation, aspect, cropping practices, temperature, vine age—all these things and more influence the flavors discovered in each wine. That is why Pinot Noir from the Tualatin Vineyard is so very different from Pinot Noir grown at the Estate site.

If you experience all the flavors noted in the tasting notes, it simply means your palette is similar to the person who wrote the notes. Sometimes I wonder if the writer simply had a list of descriptors and decided to select one from Column A and one from Column B!

Wine tasting is a very personal experience. There are no right or wrong answers. Every palette is different and every wine taster will have a different reaction to the wine. And every wine taster will be right!