Heritage Vines

We grow and care for a range of heritage wine grape varietals across our three vineyard sites. Though these clonal varieties make up a small cross-section of the global selection, these selections produce a beautiful array of characteristics from skin thickness, to cluster and berry size, and - of course - flavor.

Pinot Noir, Pommard Varietal

All Pinot Noir clones and selections in North America originally came from France. The Pommard clones comes from a region in Burgundy, France called the Cote de Beaune. The varietal that originated there resembles the deeper, darker full bodied velvety red wines from Cote de Nuits, with intense fresh bright cherry flavors and ripe tannins that evolve into leather and chocolate with aging.

The Pommard clone (UCD 4) was brought to Oregon by Dick Erath and Charles Coury in 1965 as part of their joint nursery venture, and has become one of the most widely planted Pinot Noir clone in Oregon.

Pinot Noir, Dijon Clones (777, 115, 828)

In the 1984, Dr. Raymond Bernard, the regional director of the Office National Interprofessional des Vins (ONIVINS) in Dijon, France sent several Pinot Noir clonal varieties to the US (113, 114, 115, and in 1988 667, and 777) and Oregon State University nicknamed the imported cuttings the “Dijon clones”.

The latest Dijon clone to arrive in Oregon is 828 which is the primary varietal in our Rose. There is controversy over which makes the best Pinot Noir - wine from a single clone or a blend of clones, from official clones or indigenous clones, etc.

Chardonnay, 76, 95, and 96 varietals

Chardonnay also originated in Burgundy, France. The grape is malleable and takes on the impression of its terroir and winemaker. The Wente varietal was brought to California in 1912 by C.H. Wente a German immigrant who was in the first graduating class at UC Davis. He was able to get cuttings from the University of Montpellier which was a sister university to UC Berkley, then the agricultural extension to UC Davis at the time. This is the origin of the 76 clonal variety in our Vineyard

The 95 & 96 varietals are known for uniform fruit set under cooler bloom conditions, a higher number of moderate to large berries with more flavor concentration.

(Coming Attraction) Gamay Noir

Gamay vines are hearty and productive, much lower maintenance than the notoriously fickle Pinot Noir. During the Black Plague much of Burgundy was replanted with Gamay instead of Pinot, which made things easier for a time when farm labor was difficult to come by. By 1395 it had taken over so much of Burgundy that Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, issued an edict banning the grape from his lands - which decimated the Burgundian wine industry for several generations and Gamay was relegated further south to Lyon.

Gamay was introduced to Oregon by Amity vineyards in 1988.