VINTAGE HIGHLIGHTS
2021 was the 2nd warmest growing season we have ever seen since 2015. We also got to add a new term to the dictionary: "Heat Dome". Three straight days of triple digit temperatures in late June breaking heat records for the Willamette Valley! Bud break started like usual in the middle of April. We had the driest March through May that the Willamette Valley has seen through 128 years of record keeping! Bloom also appeared on time in early/mid June. While late June brought the “Heat Dome”, our grapes made it through thanks to bloom being finished at all our sites and there still being soil moisture, so they grew like crazy over those three days of hellish temperatures. While July and August turned out to be exceedingly hot and dry, September arrived with little rain which that allowed us to fully ripen the grapes. The hot and dry summer made for fruit that was extremely clean, resulting in for excellent fermentations. All in all, mother nature gave us something to be grateful for on our 50th anniversary.

WINEMAKING
Originally planted in 1981, Temperance Hill is a second-generation owned vineyard with some of the highest elevations in the Eola-Amily Hills at nearly 1000ft. The fruit was hand harvested from Blossom Ridge on October 9th and brought back to our Estate winery where 100% was destemmed. Over a 10-day period the wine went through fermentation with our native Sokol A cultivated yeast in 2.5 ton wooden up-right tanks, with punch-downs for cap management. The wine was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels with 14% new oak. This is our first year producing wine from this highly sought after vineyard. Due to its high elevation this site ripens later, leading to a nice balance of fruit and delicacy.

WINE PROFILE
Our 2021 Temperance Hill Pinot Noir has a balance of both red and black fruit notes. This high elevation wine has lovely acidity with a subtle oak structure from the winemaking on the finish.

PAIRINGS
Serve with creamy brie and gruyere, chicken marsala with creamy mustard sauce, and a summer pear and gorgonzola salad.

SCORES
94 points - Decanter