Sourced from old vine plantings at our Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills founded in 1983 by Dick and Betty O'Brien, a former schoolteacher and Executive Director of the Santiam Girl Scouts.
On the Nose: Ruby in color, the wine expresses savory characteristics on the nose including dried herbs, minerality, red earth and wood spice.
On the Palate: Juicy and round, with Bing cherry, cranberry, raspberry and alluring spice that reaches a finale of balancing acidity and integrated tannins.
Food Pairings: Enjoy with duck confit, spiced lamb lollipops with tzatziki, sautéed foraged mushrooms and aged cow’s milk cheeses like white cheddar.
Accolades:
92 points - James Suckling
Peak Drinkability: 2024 - 2032
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At this time, we cannot ship this wine to the following states:
RI, IN, MS, NH, NJ, UT, WV
Limitations apply to: AL, AR, DE, LA and WY
Elton Vineyard
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Dick and Betty O’Brien married in 1967 and began building a life together on Betty’s family’s farm. Dick served as a middle school teacher and Betty became the Executive Director of the Santiam Girl Scouts. After a trip to Germany in 1980 where they stayed with a family that grew wine grapes, they returned to Oregon inspired and eager to plant a vineyard of their own. Betty’s parents, Elton and Peggy Ingram, turned over five acres of the farm for them to plant grapevines. They planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1983, the same year that Jim Bernau, Betty's friend and college classmate, planted our Estate Vineyard in the Salem Hills. Their vineyard grew over the years from five acres to more than 60 acres in the east-southeast slopes of the Eola Hills and was named one of Oregon’s top ten vineyards by Wine Press Northwest. The elevation rises from 250-500 feet, and the vineyard soil is primarily Jory and Nekia. Upon the O'Briens' retirement in 2007, the vineyard was contracted under a long-term lease to Willamette Valley Vineyards. Retirement allowed Dick and Betty O'Brien to complete a beautiful 1.5-acre garden on the property.
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