Hard Promises 2019

It’s rare for a winery to devote the kind of attention and care that we do to Pinot Blanc. This isn’t immodesty—the reality is that most other producers see it as a “cash flow” grape and bottle it early and simple.

On the other hand, we let this wine ferment and age in old oak barrels for 18 months, long enough for the primary fruit to fuse with the inherent minerality and spice that lies latent in the wine’s youth. Texture emerges, balancing the bright acidity we seek in all our wines. The result is humble in pricing, but noble in other regards. There’s a reason this has gained a cult following.

The 2019 vintage was ideally suited to making a wine like this. A cool fall meant that we could let the grapes hang for fully developed flavors while acids stayed bright and intense. There’s an exotic note to this edition that’s new—and if anything, the wine seems more approachable young. We have the utmost confidence this will age, though, if you can keep your hands off it.

As with the ‘18, this comes from Twelve Oaks Vineyard, a cool, north-facing vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains, just off of Bell Road. The site’s combination of exposure and elevation means we can pick early in the ripening curve of the grape without sacrificing development of flavor.

As with our other extended-elevage whites, this wine is a terrible idea from a purely economic perspective. Yet, with time and care, it rises beyond the assumptions of its origins to be both intellectually compelling and compulsively delicious.

47 cases produced. (Sold Out)