Our Vineyards

Rolling hills, fertile valleys, and lush stretches of green as far as the eye can see, describe the Willamette Valley. This breathtakingly beautiful vale, with rich soils and long gentle growing seasons, is one of the premier wine growing regions in the world. Our family has farmed this Valley for five generations, planting grass seed, berries, hazelnut trees, and now grapes. Vineyards in the Willamette Valley AVA are renowned for complex, expressive and earthy wines. In the midst of this pastoral landscape lie our five vineyards totaling 300 acres within our 12,000 acre land estate.

Within our estate, we’ve searched out the best vineyard sites and soil types. We are committed to producing the most intense, concentrated grapes possible. Our goal is simple; the best grapes make the best wine.

ENTROPY

Entropy Vineyard

Sometimes the land we’ve spent generations getting to know still surprises us. Our Entropy vineyard (named by Roger Olsen, a former Stanford physics major) is a prime example. It was first planted in 2004, and the two-year-old plants practically exploded out of the ground. By its third leaf, the vineyard produced a full crop. Now in its fifth leaf, Entropy has proven to be highly productive, yielding exquisite, dark Pinot Noir grapes. Pinot Gris grapes are also at their coppery best on this ground.

Entropy’s outstanding site, with its rolling slopes and swells, deserves much of the credit for its fruitful yield. Set on a gentle east- and south-facing slope, the vineyard captures brilliant sunlight and gives us abundant, high quality fruit—about 65 acres of Pinot Noir and 11 acres of Pinot Gris grapes. The view from here isn’t bad either. On a clear day you can see Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and even the Three Sisters mountains near Bend, Oregon.

  • Root Stock: 3309, 101-14 Phylloxera and nematode resistant
  • Pinot Noir Clones: Pommard, 115, 777
  • Pinot Gris Clones:152, 146
  • Soils: Mixture of Willakenzie, Helvetia, Steiwer and Chehulpum
  • Height Range: 220’-280’ above sea level
  • Trellising: Scott Henry

ZIG-ZAG

Deep, fertile soil and the promise of things to come describes the vineyard planted in a zig-zag pattern located below Entropy. A zig-zag planting pattern makes efficient use of this fertile ground. Zig-Zag facing east and gently sloping to the south is an ideal place to grow the 60 acres of Pinot Gris grapes. (This soil is the same type associated with many award-wining wines of the Willamette Valley.) Most of the grapes were planted in spring of 2005, with the remainder planted that fall.

We work in harmony with this land to make the most of it. Using trellising to control the vigor, we strive to increase production without compromising quality. Initial results from the 2006 harvest show great potential for this site. We’ve have a good feeling about this one.

  • Root Stock: 3309, 101-14 Phylloxera and nematode resistant
  • Pinot Gris Clones: 146, 152
  • Soils: Mixture of Woodburn and Helvetia
  • Height Range: 220’-200’
  • Trellising: Scott Henry

TOPOLOGY

Steep, rolling terrain bisected by a massive swale, these dramatic surface features earned this vineyard its name. You’ll find Topology on the west-facing side of our Cottonwood vineyard. From atop the hill, a stunning vista of the Airlie Valley and the Oregon Coast Range beckons.

Topology was planted in the spring of 2007, with 45 acres of Pinot Gris and 25 acres of Pinot Noir. In the next year or two, we’ll be damming up the west end to create a pond for summer irrigation. This is our only non-east-facing vineyard, and its unique orientation and deeper, richer soils are sure to lend added complexity and depth to our wines.

  • Root Stock: 3309, 101-14 Phylloxera and nematode resistant
  • Pinot Noir Clones: 777, 115
  • Pinot Gris Clones: 146, 152
  • Soils: Mixture of Woodburn and Santiam
  • Height Range: 220’-240’
  • Trellising: Scott Henry

FRACTAL (Mulkey Hill)

Hundreds of feet above the valley floor lies our highest and most beautiful site. Framed by the breathtaking Coast Range, the view to the east is equally spectacular. Sweeping vistas reveal the South Willamette Valley and the majestic mountains of Eastern Oregon and Washington. This idyllic spot inspired the label design on our wine bottles. Soon, the flat top of this hill will be home to our winemaking facility, tasting room and destination resort, in other words, the perfect place to revel in the natural beauty and abundance of the Willamette Valley and beyond.

Currently, we have Chardonnay (5 acres), Riesling (11 acres), Gewürztraminer (5 acres), Cabernet (2 acres) and Viogner (5 acres) in the greenhouse, which may be planted this fall to develop wines exclusively for our tasting room. Also on our sites are the addition of 90 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 planned acres of Pinot Gris, ultimately encompassing 275 acres of vineyard.

  • Root Stock: 3309, 101-14 Phylloxera and nematode resistant, 5 BB
  • Pinot Noir Clones: Pommard , 828, 113, 114 115
  • Pinot Gris Clones:
  • Chardonnay: Clones: 95
  • Riesling, Clones: 17, 12
  • Other Grapes: Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Syrah, and Viognier, nebbioli
  • Soil: Willakenzie
  • Height Range: 220’-460’
  • Trellising: Vertical Height Positioning (VSP)

COTTONWOOD

This vineyard, aptly named for the row of old Cottonwood trees near the historic “Edwards White Barn”, is east facing and level on top. It slopes gently to the North, Northeast, and South, sporting a couple of big oak trees on the top of the knoll.

In the deep rich soils of the hill we are working with some exciting new Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris clones, providing a strong base for our next generation of wine. Planting on this ground started in the Fall of 2006. As the plants continue to mature, they show the promise of great things to come.

  • Root Stock: 3309, 101-14 Phylloxera and nematode resistant
  • Pinot Noir Clones: 23, 113
  • Pinot Gris Clones: 3
  • Soils: Mixture of Willamette and Santiam
  • Height Range: 220′-240′
  • Trellising: Scott Henry