Winemaker Notes
As the first commercial grower of Dijon Clones Chardonnay in the U.S., Argyle has been on the leading edge of a Chardonnay revolution in Oregon since 1987. Argyle Chardonnay is grown on high density vineyard blocks planted with devigorated root stocks.
Food Pairing Notes
It’s early in its lifespan, but Spirit Hill is beginning to display a combination of attributes we’ve come to know at our other vineyards in the Dundee and Eola-Amity Hills…call it the best of both worlds.
Vineyard Notes
The 2018 growing season began with a relatively mild and dry winter and moderately cool spring, leading to bud break during the second and third weeks of April. Temperatures picked up in May and continued into a beautiful mid-June bloom. The rest of the summer continued to be warm and very dry, with no precipitation for nearly 3 months. Early September remained warm and dry through the beginning of the sparkling harvest, but then cooled down with a few days of precipitation in the middle of the month. This allowed for still wine ripening (and the cellar crew!) to slow down and catch their breath before finishing out with beautiful late September and early October weather. In all, the 2018 harvest was very condensed, having started with Chardonnay at the lower elevations of Lone Star Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills on September 4th and finishing with Pinot Noir in the upper elevations of the Eola-Amity Hills at Spirit Hill Vineyard on October 2nd.
