2016 Pinot noir ~ Jessie James Vineyard

tasting notes
rich red fruit, savory, spice and forest floor, broad weight, fine tannins, elegant length, poised and complex, youthful
 
ava Eola-Amity Hills
elevation 675 feet
aspect south-east, gentle to moderate slope
soils Volcanic Basalt, nekia series
vine age planted 1996
clonal selection Pommard and Wadenswil
farming Dry-Farmed, Organic management
harvest September 20, 2016
bottled september 6, 2017
cases produced 200
 
the Terroir
The eola-Amity Hills is situated to the immediate east of the Van Duzer Corridor, the "air-conditioning" pathway through the Coast Range where marine air enters from the west and cools the Willamette Valley. the high-density (2,400 vines/acre), four acre planting of vines at Jessie James is on the east-facing side of the EA Hills at high elevation‒ripening here is very patient. Furthermore, the vineyard is in a rain shadow, allowing the grapes to reach peak maturity with less risk of botrytis rot, when‒as is not infrequent‒rains threaten the harvest in September and October. Lastly, the Nekia soil (shallow volcanic basalt) provides appropriate stress to the plants, resulting in sparse canopies and loose clusters with small berries and thick skins. The wines display an exceptional depth and complexity of structure and fruit. We now lease and co-farm the vineyard with the Etzel family at Beaux Freres, who share our passion and excitement for this vineyard owned by Jessica and James Lee, from whom the vineyard takes its name.
 
the Growing Season
After an extremely mild Winter, the vines awoke early in March, almost a month ahead of normal. the Summer was genuinely mild and the vines were refreshed by occasional rain. Autumn conditions were a dream‒no rain and consistently mild temps all through September, making life easy for this winemaker. Although we began harvesting in the Willamette Valley on August 30 (Gewurztraminer) and finished with Riesling on september 29‒two-to-four weeks earlier than average‒the growing season was not compressed, rather it finished early because it started so early. And despite the early harvest, the wines display an elegance, energy and depth that reminds us of an ideal vintage.
 
notes on Winemaking
picked September 20, 2016 at 23.7 brix, 3.3 pH. Fermentation in Macrobins (open top 1.5 ton) with 20% whole clusters/whole berries. 16 days total on skins. combination of pumpovers and punchdowns. Peak temps, 78 F. Pressed to Barrel, no settling. Aged 11 months on lees in (75%) Oregon oak and (25%) French oak (228L barrels). Racked carefully and bottled on September 6, 2017, Unfined & Unfiltered.
 
about Martin Woods
Our winery is secluded in the wooded foothills of oregon's coast range, within the mcminnville ava. We farm and partner with exceptional, late-ripening vineyards in the willamette valley to produce Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner and Rosé. We strive to make wine in the vineyard, to produce distinctive wines with an authentic sense-of-place. To this end we raise much of our wine in oregon oak barrels (Quercus garryana) locally harvested, air-dried and coopered. Our wines are sought after for their graceful balance, textural depth, expressive aromas and long-aging potential    —Evan Martin