Winemaker Notes
Situated just above the 45th parallel and just between the protective rain shadow of Oregon’s Coast Range to the west and the majestic Cascade Mountain Range to the east, the Willamette Valley enjoys a long, late growing season, perfectly suited for world class Pinot Noir.
Food Pairing Notes
Contemplative and haunting, Spirithouse wines are the nexus between Argyle’s most cutting edge viticulture and most exacting winemaking and are Argyle’s purest expression of power and grace.
Vineyard Notes
The majority of the 2013 growing season was pretty normal in terms of weather, much like 2012, when La Niña faded and customary conditions returned. Bud break and bloom timing were on the mark, indicating an early October Pinot Noir harvest. Towards the end of September, just after our sparkling harvest, the forecast seemed more ominous and hardly believable. Argyle’s experience and maturity paid big dividends against such a backdrop. As the certainty of the forecast increased, we went to work at low elevations, particularly our Lone Star Vineyard. After the initial wave, we hunkered down and received 6 inches of rain in a weekend. We caught our breath and waited, almost a full week. Following the rain there was another flurry of action, as we went to work dropping any compromised fruit. Yields were certainly diminished but as the end of September blew over, we were blessed with a dry, sunny October. This late-game break in the weather allowed our high elevation grapes to dry out and ripen into a small, but gorgeous crop.
