ELK COVE PINOT NOIR
June 3, 2009 by PWM
2007 ELK COVE PINOT NOIR, WILLAMETTE VALLEY...$23.95
All of Elk Cove's delicate Pinot Noir fruit undergoes the same meticulous vineyard management and gentle handling through our gravity flow system, thus achieving the elegance, texture and luscious quality that are the hallmarks of exquisite Pinot Noirs. From the early pioneering days to now, our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir has remained the foundation of Elk Cove Vineyards. This Pinot Noir is blended from several select vineyard sites comprised of Pommard and Dijon plant material and shows the softest, most approachable drinking style Elk Cove makes.
Vintage 2007 is one that will certainly be discussed. Some say it’s a grower’s year, where meticulous thinning, canopy management and spray routines helped the fruit left hanging on the vine. Others maintain this is a winemaker’s year, where the most experienced and agile artists will be able to take the fruit given by Mother Nature and craft some outstanding wines. All agree that it brought some challenges, yet with the rain reminiscent of 2005 and much less than the last really rainy harvest of 1997, most in the valley know how to adapt; taking advantage of this year’s attributes such as lower sugars (lower alcohols) and higher acids. We love the classic cool Oregon climate in this year, which should give us more finesse rather than extraction and possibly even better ageability. This vintage will have stellar wines, just perhaps with more variability.
2007 ELK COVE PINOT NOIR, FIVE MOUNTAIN...$39.95
Five Mountain Vineyard was purchased by Elk Cove Vineyards in 2005 after leasing the site for several years. Previously only a component of our Willamette Valley blend, after taking full control of the vineyard we have found certain lots worthy of Single Vineyard status. This historic vineyard was planted in 1978 by the Ponzi family, the original 4.2 acres of old vines are comprised of Pommard clone and the entire vineyard is set on a steep southeast slope in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, overlooking “five mountains” in the Cascade Range most widely seen from the Willamette Valley. This vineyard was an important element to the early Ponzi Reserve Pinots and has also been a Single Vineyard selection from a number of premier Oregon wineries over the years. This site is sustainably farmed by Elk Cove Vineyards and now comprises a total of 30 acres including the original old vine Pinot Noir, Dijon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat. We are excited to include this Vineyard in our family of Single Vineyard wines!
2007 ELK COVE PINOT NOIR, MOUNT RICHMOND...$39.95
This vineyard site was purchased in 1996 in partnership between Adam and his wife Carrie, and parents Pat and Joe Campbell. The motivation for planting this vineyard was to emulate the wine quality from sites such as our esteemed Roosevelt vineyard. Mount Richmond sits at 300-500 feet elevation, lower than the vineyards planted at the winery, which allows for earlier ripening. Planted in a high-density format (2100 vpa), similar to Roosevelt, it sits in rolling hills just outside the town of Yamhill in the shadow of the Pacific Northwest’s Coast Range. The plant material sourced for Mount Richmond follows an old Burgundian tradition of selecting cuttings from the best plants (small clusters, tiny berries) from Roosevelt vineyard. It is the 4th generation of improved plant material (ECV Estate > La Boheme > Roosevelt > Mount Richmond), and all Pommard clone. This vineyard is completely dry-farmed and sits on Willakenzie soils.