2022 Duck Pond Single Vineyard Willamette Valley La Chouette Pinot Gris

13.0

Vivid aromas of honeydew melon and orchard blossom are layered with rich flavors of heirloom pear and almond pastry. Crisp acidity persists on a finish with a hint of sea minerals.

La Chouette Vineyard faces southwest toward the Coast Range and comprises 11 acres of
carefully farmed, estate grown fruit. The Pinot Gris is grown in fertile Steiwer and Chehalem
Silt Loam soils, with about 3 feet of topsoil
before the vine’s roots reach sedimentary rock beds
with plant and shell fossils.

The fruit was whole cluster pressed, and the juice was then settled and racked to stainless steel,
where it was fermented for eighteen days. The wine was then aged an additional three months
sur lie before being lightly bentonite fined, cold stabilized, racked, filtered, and bottled

A classic, elegant Oregon vintage, the 2022 growing season began with a cool and wet spring.
The vines emerged from dormancy in mid April, when a few nights of frost at budbreak caused
concern about diminished yields, but vines generally rebounded well from the event, and a
cool month of June pushed bloom out to the summer solstice, coinciding with a warming
event that produced complete flowering and an excellent fruit set characterized by large
cluster size. In July, August, and September, the weather was warm and dry, and the vines had
access to plenty of soil moisture from the spring rains, allowing for rapid growth. The
continuation of fair weather through late October allowed for additional hang time and flavor
development while keeping the wines in perfect balance until harvest began in mid-October.