Evening Land 'La Source' Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills 2022

Evening Land Vineyards is all about location. The winery produces only estate-grown fruit from the historic Seven Springs Estate. Situated in the Eola-Amity Hills area (basically around the towns of Eola & Amity) of Willamette Valley, the vineyards were planted by the MacDonald family in the early 1980s, with advice from Dominique Lafon of the coveted Domaine des Comtes Lafon. The site faces east and is in close proximity to a newly minted region call the Van Duzer Corridor. There are a number of things about this location that makes this special. First, that east-facing exposition means that early morning sun drenches the vineyard and remains there most of the day. This portion of Oregon's Willamette Valley is known for its cool climate; in fact, the modern industry was founded by a small group of adventurous winemakers seeking these cooler sites. While Seven Springs is bathed in sun, the average temperatures in Eola-Amity Hills are among the lowest in the area. As the valley begins to warm during the day, that heat rises, and the Van Duzer Corridor conveniently provides a constant flow of cold air from the coast replacing that rising air. 'La Source' refers to a plot at the top of the slope that takes maximum advantage of the temperature-moderating breeze sweeping over the hill and through the vineyard. A beautiful balance of floral tones, mushroom earthiness, and oak-inflected richness make for an elegant expression of this particular Oregon terroir. Biodynamically grown, sustainably grown, low-intervention/natural wine.