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The heart of Bethel Heights Vineyard is Pinot noir. Three-fourths of the original estate vineyard, thirty-seven acres, is planted to Pinot noir. The new Justice Vineyard, planted in 1999, brought another thirteen acres of Pinot noir into the estate blend starting in 2003. The oldest vines, planted in 1977 and 1979, are Pommard and Wädenswil clones. More recent plantings include Dijon clones 114, 115, 667 and 777. BETHEL HEIGHTS ESTATE GROWN PINOT NOIR blends fruit from all the different sections of the estate vineyards, creating our signature wine.
A few barrels from certain sections of the estate vineyard are reserved each year and bottled as separate block designated wines. Over the years certain sections of our estate vineyard have consistently yielded superior Pinot noir wines of distinctive character, most notably the SOUTHEAST BLOCK, the FLAT BLOCK, and the WEST BLOCK. A few barrels from these sections are reserved each year and bottled as separate block designated wines.
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In 1996 we started purchasing Pinot noir grapes from other vineyards in the Willamette Valley, and have since added some new appellations to our lineup: FREEDOM HILL VINEYARD, NYSA VINEYARD, and SEVEN SPRINGS VINEYARD. The locations of these three vineyards are indicated on the geologic features map of the Willamette Valley, and there is more information about each of them on the individual wine fact sheets from the Current Wines list.
For all our Pinot noir gentle handling requires that the fruit be destemmed (not crushed) and bucketed (not pumped) into small fermenters. Following several days of cold soak on the skins the must is fermented warm, with increasing reliance on wild yeast in recent years. The wines are aged in center-of-France oak for ten to eighteen months depending on the vintage and the character of specific lots. The wines are racked as little as possible, and are usually bottled unfiltered.
We also make three white wines: Estate Grown Chardonnay made in a traditional Burgundian style, Estate Grown Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris from a blend of Willamette Valley and Rogue Valley fruit. Each is given the same attention to detail in the vineyard and the winery that we give to Pinot noir. There is more information about each of them on the individual wine fact sheets from the Current Wines list.
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