This own-rooted, 40-year-old planting of Pinot gris at Eola Springs vineyard has forever captured my imagination since we began working this site in 2015. Located on the lowest portion of the west facing slope over the years these sturdy vines have been nourished with ample rain runoff and accrued more topsoil with time, this position at the foot of the slope has also meant that the phylloxera louse that was present in vines planted above it has had a free ride down to it rain fall after rain fall. The several years of dry years the valley has endured since 2014 has further depleted these once strong matron vines. Although the crop we receive off these beautiful creatures varies significantly from year to year we are committed to continuing our relationship with them and sharing their stories of each vintage.
It may come as a surprise, to some, that Pinot gris is a mutation of Pinot noir and has relatively deep blue and rose pigmented skins. It is a wildly spiced grape that holds so much of its spice and exotic flavors in its skins that we felt compelled in 2021 to work with this variety they way we work with Pinot noir, a full fermentation on its skins to alcoholic dryness.
