2016 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir Block 7, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

ABOUT THIS WINE:

This block selection is 100% Wädenswil clone and aged in 50% new French oak. It has the broad fruitiness typical of this clone, and the barrel aging puts a nice toasty frame around the bright red and black fruit flavors.

APPELLATION Yamhill-Carlton

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER:

"Shea Vineyard was first planted to wine grapes in the late 1980s. Today Shea Vineyard is a 290-acre property with 155 planted acres. 149 of these acres are planted to Pinot noir vines and the balance is planted to Chardonnay. Roughly 20% of the Pinot noir fruit produced each year by Shea Vineyard is used by Shea Wine Cellars for its releases. The other 80% of the Pinot noir fruit is sold to some of the finest winemakers in Oregon and California."

The Facts
"Shea vineyard sits on sedimentary soil over fractured sandstone. Vine spacing is 5×7 yielding 1,245 plants per acre. Shea was one of the early vineyards in this area of Yamhill County and on this soil type. Today, the vineyard is surrounded by some of the premiere wineries making Pinot noir in the New World."

Sustainable Farming
"Being stewards of the land we farm is an important responsibility to us. With that in mind, we farm Shea Vineyard using sustainable methods as prescribed by LIVE. From the LIVE website: “Since 1999, LIVE has independently certified the sustainable practices of winegrowers in the Pacific Northwest, using the latest in university research and internationally accredited standards. We provide regional education to preserve the human and natural resources of the wine industry.” We have been farming by these principles for more than 10 years but have now made the decision to pursue formal certification from LIVE. We expect to receive certification for the 2022 vintage."

Farm Workers Make It Happen
"We employ 14 workers on our dedicated vineyard crew under the supervision of Vineyard Manager Jesus Marin. There are approximately 200,000 vines on Shea Vineyard, and each one needs something done to it by hand about 15 times per year. The knowledge, skill and dedication of our crew, developed over years in our vineyard is a large reason our fruit is so highly regarded."