2006 Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley

Our Pinot Gris has a long history of
National Attention and Awards

The 2006 Pinot Gris bursts from the glass with intense fruit aromas. Irresistible fruit flavors are supported by an elegantly rich texture and a surprisingly crisp finish. The absence of oak and superb acid balance allows the subtle floral, mineral, and spice notes to deftly add complexity to the dominant fruitiness. Late harvested grapes from the high elevation Cloudrest Vineyard contribute unique grassy meadow subtleties to the finished wine.

FRUIT SOURCES & VINIFICATION

All the vineyard sources for this wine are located within a ten-mile radius of the winery. Situated in the northern end of the Willamette Valley appellation, the predominate soil type of these vineyards is Laurelwood - a relatively rich, volcanic substrate. Yields are kept below four tons per acre to ensure physiologically mature fruit and concentrated fruit flavors. Shoot positioning and shoot thinning, cluster thinning and leaf removal techniques are utilized in the vineyards to enhance fruit quality. With the short distance between vineyard and winery, we are able to quickly de-stem, crush, and press the grapes. The juice was settled overnight in stainless steel tanks, then racked into 57 gallon stainless steel barrels. After primary fermentation, the wine was aged for six months on its yeast lees in these same small stainless steel barrels. No sulfur additions were made until the barrel racking. No malolactic fermentation took place and no oak was used. Each vineyard lot was vinified separately, then blended before bottling.

WINEMAKER NOTES

The Oak Knoll style of Pinot Gris emphasizes the grape's delicate fruit aromas and flavors, and strives for a balance of creamy texture, good palate weight, and a crisp, lingering finish. In order to achieve this style, we eschew the use of oak and malolactic fermentation finding these influences too obtrusive. Instead, we rely on the natural interaction between the wine and its yeast lees to accentuate the fruit's natural richness and add texture, depth, and complexity. The finished wine exhibits the grape's distinct Varietal character (melon, pear, and apple) with a finely tuned balance of acidity to fruit intensity.

PRODUCTION: 7,082 cases
WINE SPECS: 13% alc.
T.A.: 7.0 g/L
pH: 3.31