Different types of rock remember different periods of history.
We spent a decade investigating the fundamental cause of distinctly Oregon Pinot Noir. Where the vine meets tiny threads of ancient volcanic rock, we found the answer.
These tiny threads are elusive, hidden beneath layers of earth left by the Missoula Floods. Finding them takes more than just time – it requires relentless dedication. Every step demands more: more exploration, more data, more trial and error, more science, more inspiration, and above all, more artistry.
When I find something specific and delicious, I dig.
-Pedro Parra
We’ve partnered with legendary “terroir whisperer” Pedro Parra on this exploration across Oregon’s Willamette Valley to unearth these hidden places. Parra employs soil-scanning technologies to chart electroconductivity patterns in the ground, highlighting wave-like shifts in the soil’s underlying structure. After mapping these patterns, areas of change are pinpointed and soil pits are dug for direct inspection.
After two years of exploration, we found the “experience” we seek in those wines that share similar geologic conditions – produced from just a few of our vineyard parcels.
Compared to wines made from vineyard areas of more weathered or decomposed basalt, vines from these volcanic ribbons produce wines of unusually vivid red, blue and black fruit flavors which elegantly wrap around a whispered but highly detailed mineral bolt.
Wild Traditions
Once found, it is up to our Winemaker Felipe Ramirez to liberate the instincts, key characteristics, and compulsions of these tiny hillside pleats of volcanic rock. This liberation starts with a unique oxygen-rich “infusion” that persuades the wild yeasts of the vineyard to transform the grapes to wine without repressing or censoring the prime instincts of the hill.
The “infusion” encourages a host of sensitive “respiring” wild yeast species, native to each rock-ribbon of vineyard, to convert the sugars within the grapes to a kaleidoscope of flavor and aroma compounds. They are an essential engine to bring out high-toned, red fruit and floral flavors and aromas, before traditional fermenting yeast get to work. A magic trick; the invisible yet tangible liberation of the hillside’s primal personality.
The resulting micro-production wines have an electric violet exuberance and a velvet texture wrapped around a mineral core, with nuanced detail flowing from second and third waves of flavors, textures and aromas.