2022 Illahe Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

ABOUT THIS WINE

The 2022 vintage started off with an unusual frost right at budbreak in April of 2022. After the frost we had one of the rainiest springs ever in the Willamette Valley which made growth slow quite a bit. But, as spring turned to summer things started becoming more positive. We had perfect weather during bloom and great fruit set on the shoots that survived the frost. We had nice temperatures in the summer months; however, because of the cold and rainy spring, we had one of the latest harvests in a decade. We had a nice extended and sunny fall and we were able to let the fruit develop nicely until it was ready to be picked

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

At Illahe, our goal is to make wine as naturally as possible from soil to bottle. We work by hand on small lots with age-old techniques and materials. Our focus is to grow and make quality Pinot Noir and white wines that express the vintage and their varietal characteristics. We don't use enzymes or additives. Some of our wines are made entirely by hand, with no electricity or modern mechanization. We use a gentle wooden basket press and age our Pinot Noir in French and Oregon oak.

Quality wine starts with quality fruit in the vineyard. Our 80-acre, south-facing vineyard lives in shallow clay soils. Like our friends in the Deep Roots Coalition, which is committed to dry agriculture and responsible water practices, we do not irrigate mature plants. As one of Oregon’s few horse-powered vineyards we utilize a team of Percheron draft horses to mow and deliver grapes to the winery at harvest.