Our primary area for cultivating and growing our Pinot Noir comes from the La Quercia block situated high up on Calkins Lane. The neighbors that surround us here include Bergstrom and Adelsheim Vineyards. All stand out as Oregon’s most distinguished wine growers. This site sits at an ideal elevation of 400 feet. This is perfect for fruit in the Willamette Valley. Its Southwestern exposure is in a perfect place to receive the afternoon breezes that dry out excess moisture without the higher heat of lower elevations or the delayed ripening curve that can affect sites over 600 feet.

This dry-farmed site sits on a level bench of sedimentary sandy soil that exhibits moderate water holding capacity and superior drainage. This combination is essential for our Pinot Noir vines so they have enough water in the topsoil to sustain them for our dry summers. Midway through the growing season as the available water in the soil starts to decrease, we work with the vines to focus their remaining energy on cluster development, and less on vegetative vine growth. This is where the balance for quality wine growing production is evident.

Our vines are hitting their stride of mature production.

Our vine spacing is high density with about 2,000 vines per acre. The in-row spacing is one meter between vines, which limits the yield to a modest amount of less than 3 pounds per vine. This gives the vines balance and a competitive interaction. It also keeps them in their footprint to help prevent overly vigorous growth and doing more than their share of production each year.

The site is planted with a mixture of Pinot Noir clones of 777, 828, 115, and Pommard. When blended, the grouping creates a unique, site specific complexity producing a signature wine profile each year.