Alcohol: 13.6%
Grape(s): 100% Pinot Noir
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Tasting Notes: The Wine has bright raspberries and ripe blueberries atop a more complex black tea backbone. Subtle layers of slate, fresh rain, and forest floor provide balance. The wine enters the mouth with a vibrancy, has tannins with a velvet texture, and finishes on a long fresh note.
Notes: The fruit was hand-picked, sorted, and destemmed without crushing to maintain whole berries during fermentation. A diverse yeast program, including non-Saccharomyces, was used during cold soak. Gentle pump-overs were performed at the beginning and end of fermentation with punch-downs being implemented during peak fermentation to break up the cap. Oxygen was introduced during peak fermentation to promote yeast health and limit off-flavors. Malo-lactic conversion finished naturally in barrel with sur-lie aging for 10 months in 21% new French oak.
Food pairing: This wine pairs well with poultry and tomato sauce dishes.
Winery Story: Pattie and Mark met at the University of Minnesota in 1985. They married, raised four children, and worked in the Twin Cities until moving to Oregon in 2005. Their dream was simple: find a vineyard site surrounded by forests and streams. Within months, they purchased a scenic 107-acre farm in the Eola-Amity Hills and set to work.
They cleared and planted 28 acres of vineyard, built a winery, and began producing award-winning wines. To prepare, both studied viticulture and winemaking at Chemeketa Community College. Pattie also interned at Bethel Heights Vineyard, learning directly from Ben Casteel.
The idea for Björnson Vineyard began during business school at the University of Minnesota. When Pattie asked Mark about his long-term goals, he replied, “I want to live in the country, plant an orchard and garden, and raise a big family.” Pattie laughed and said, “Look me up when you want to get married.”
That vision grew into a vineyard after a tandem bicycle trip with 2-year-old Kaitlyn through Europe in 1993. Inspired by small wineries along the way, they fell in love with winemaking. Oregon’s beauty and potential made it the natural choice for their vineyard.
