Composition:

• 100% Pinot noir (Clone 667)

Alcohol:

• 13.5% by vol

Production:

• 21 cases (750 ml)

• 2 cases (1.5 L)

Cellaring:

• While our 2008 Winderlea Vineyard Pinot noir will be ready to enjoy in 2011, it will develop and gain complexity for at least 8 - 10 years.

“This 2008 Winderlea Pinot noir has flavors
of blueberries, plums, and brandy-soaked black
cherries; also hints of rose petal, lavender,
allspice and nutmeg. The texture is smooth and
rich, with a nice perception of sweetness. Consider
pairing this Pinot noir with lamb and grilled
meats.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker

Wine Background:

• John and Sally Bauers began planting this historic “Dundee Hills Vineyard” property in 1974 and yielded some great wines over the years. The vineyard was then sold to former Oregon governor, Neil Goldschmidt, and his wife Diana in 1998.

• Under Adelsheim’s vineyard management, all varieties but Pinot noir were then grafted over or removed and replanted. All new plantings were densely spaced “Dijon” clone vines on devigorating rootstocks with irrigation. In addition, a transition from traditional farming to sustainable, organic viticultural practices worked to insure intensely flavored grapes, while minimizing the farming impact on the land.

• In October 2006, “Goldschmidt Vineyard” was purchased by Donna Morris and Bill Sweat and renamed “Winderlea Vineyard”. Even as Bill and Donna have established their own brand from this iconic vineyard, we continue to benefit from one acre of clone 667 that we planted.

Growing Season:

• The 2008 growing season began slowly with a cooler than normal spring for the months of March and April. Buds began to open around April 26th, giving the growing season a bit of a delayed start.

• Temperatures picked up considerably in May and the vines accelerated shoot growth, but bloom was still slightly later than normal.

• The favorable conditions surrounding bloom near the end of June continued well into August. Veraison became apparent in mid-August, followed by gorgeous ripening conditions in September.

• Hand-picking occurred on October 1st, allowing the fruit to fully ripen and bask in what could be called a textbook Indian summer for Oregon.

Vineyard:

• Winderlea Vineyard is situated on Worden Hill Road in the Dundee Hills AVA, one of the north Willamette Valley’s most respected viticultural areas.

• The vineyard’s south exposure, 480 to 570-foot elevation, and volcanic-origin, clay-loam soils are ideally suited to ripening Pinot noir.

• This wine is produced with grapes from one of the vineyard’s densely-spaced, replanted blocks.

• The clone is from Burgundy, named “667”, and grafted onto the lowest vigor rootstock available, Riparia Gloire. This combination ripens early and gives very rich wines.

Winemaking:

• Production of this Winderlea Pinot noir followed Adelsheim Vineyard’s traditional winemaking approach: gentle destemming, cold soak for greater flavor and color extraction, and fermentation in temperature-controlled,open-top fermenters.

• The wine underwent secondary, malolactic fermentation in small, medium-toast French oak barrels (one-third new) and was aged for 11 months.

• The wine was bottled on August 12, 2009.

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