THE LAND

The vineyard is located in Oregon's northern Willamette Valley on a south-facing hillside in Yamhill County, just west of Carlton. The vineyard is in the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA (American Viticultural Area, as designated by the federal government). From a global perspective the vineyard is located immediately north of the 45th Parallel about 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The climate is a mix of both marine and continental influences; creating an environment that offers mild, wet winters and warm, very dry summers.

The Biodynamic® certification by Demeter (the original organic certification agency) encompasses the entire 32 acre farm. Demeter standards encourage farmers to utilize products grown or produced on-site. The Chambers craft a 150-ton organic compost pile every other year for ground application. In 2007, they constructed a brick-lined barrel compost pit. They have buried biodynamic preparations around the roots of several majestic trees on-site (these tree roots will “broadcast” the subtle energy and preparation essence throughout the farm). They created horn silica by grinding quartz rock, mixing it with soil, and following biodynamic practices, buried the material in a cow horn for a summer season. Yarrow has been planted for tea applications, Native grasses and wildflowers have been planted to create a savannah beneath a canopy of oak trees. Two ponds in natural draws, support ample native vegetation and wildlife to provide biodiversity to the farm environment.

Soils are primarily Willakenzie and Yamhill, but there are areas with virtually no top soil that can only be labeled as shale rock land. The Willakenzie and exposed shale are both old sedimentary deposits that begin at the bottom of the slope. The Yamhill is an ancient, submarine basaltic soil (much older than the more common, basalt-derived Jory and Nekia soils in the Dundee Hills). The Yamhill soil is found near the top of the slope and much of the crown is exposed, broken basalt bedrock.

Resonance Vineyard sits on a convex portion of a low, west-east oriented ridge emerging out of the Coast Range. The ridge is hook-shaped, wrapping around to the east. The much higher High Heaven Ridge protects the property from the south. Panther Creek flows through the valley created between High Heaven and Resonance. The Coast Range rises immediately to the west of the property, creating a formidable weather barrier. As a result, Resonance is protected from inclement weather and wind on all sides, making it a particularly warm, dry site. The entire site is dry-farmed

 

                       Yamhill-Carlton American Viticulture Area: Down to Earth

North of McMinnville the land slowly rises to the hamlets of Carlton and Yamhill. Low ridges surround the two communities in a horseshoe shape. The free-flowing North Yamhill River courses through the center of a lush patchwork quilt of nurseries, grain fields and orchards. The neatly combed benchlands and hillsides of the Yamhill-Carlton District are home to some of the finest Pinot noir vineyards in the world.

Historically nourished by forestry and farming, this area is rapidly emerging as a global center of Pinot noir production. This pastoral corner of Oregon’s northern Willamette Valley creates a unique set of growing conditions. The Coast Range to the west soars to nearly 3500 feet (1200m) establishing a rain shadow over the entire district. Additional protection is afforded by Chehalem Mountain to the north and the Dundee Hills to the east.

The coarse-grained, ancient marine sediments native to the area are the oldest soils in the valley. These soils drain quickly establishing a natural deficit-irrigation effect. Thus, the vines stop vegetative growth earlier here than elsewhere, leading to more complete ripening, even in cooler growing seasons. This allows Pinot noir to develop deep ruby colors and broad, silky tannins. The mouth-filling wines exude powerful fruit aromas of raspberry, blackberry and black cherries complexed by minerality reminiscent of pipe tobacco, espresso, clove and dark chocolate and accented by scents of rose, violet, lavender and sweet wood smoke. These are alluring, complex, supple gems of Pinot noir to sip and savor.