2018 Havlin Vineyard - Gruner Veltliner

tasting notes flint, asian pear, preserved lemon, arugula—balanced weight, very fresh—will gain in complexity for 10+ years
ava: Van Duzer Corridor
elevation: 350 feet
aspect: Southwest, moderate slope
soil: Marine Sediments, with Ironstone
Vine Age: 5 years
clonal selection: Believed to be Grüner Veltliner 01.1, obtained by FPS (UC Davis) in 1939 from a Professor Moog in Germany
farming: LIVE Certified, Dry-Farmed
harvest: October 11, 2018
elevage: 10 months in tank and 400L puncheons
bottled: September 3, 2019, without fining
cases produced: 135
 
the Terroir Havlin Vineyard is situated squarely within the Van duzer Corridor, a low gap in Oregon's Coast Range where marine air flows into the Willamette  Valley from the Pacific Ocean, 30 miles to the west. Cool air and persistent wind flows through this neighborhood, moderating temperatures and allowing for patient ripening, retention of fresh acidity, and thick grape skins. Shallow, marine sediments with intrusions of ironstone at Havlin Vineyard provide stress to the vines, making for a sparse canopy with lots of sun exposure and airflow. Owned and farmed by Jeff Havlin, a very colorful fellow.
 
the Growing Season 2018 continued the trend of a gradually warming climate in the Willamette, although the summer was free of significant heat spikes, which spared the vines from excessive stress. total rainfall was lower than normal, but timely rains in late-winter and early-spring charged the soil with enough moisture to carry the vines through the dry summer. Fruit set and yields were naturally low and an extended dry Autumn allowed for a reliable picking schedule of clean, beautiful fruit. The resulting wines have generosity and depth, but with tremendous textural definition, finesse and freshness. the wines offer a wonderful presentation today, but will certainly gain in complexity over many years in the cellar—2018 is a Martin Woods vintage to invest in, across the entire range!
 
notes on Winemaking Picked early morning October 11 at 20.2 brix, 3.12 pH. De-stemmed, then cold-mascerated on skins 4 days to amplify aroma and texture. Gentle pressing to Flextank. Overnight settling, then racked off gross lees. Fermented in Flextank, then Elevage on lees for 10 months, 50% in Flextank and 50% in 400L (6-7 year old) french oak puncheons. Bottled September 3, without fining. TA 6.1 g/L, Malic 1.39 g/L, pH 3.27, RS 0.6 g/L, 12.1% Alc.
 
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 distinctive, late-ripening vineyards in the willamette valley to produce principally Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay. We strive to find the soul of our wines in the vineyard, to produce authentic wines with a consistent sense-of-place. We find that our wines are most warmly embraced by sommeliers, chefs, wine geeks and collectors, who recognize and appreciate graceful balance, textural complexity and tension, freshness and clean aromatic lift, youthful wines with many years ahead of them.     —Evan Martin, winemaker/proprietor