Grape Varieties
Winemaker Notes
The goal behind the Estate bottling is to make a wine that is representative of the whole farm. If we were to harvest all of our Pinot Noir grapes and make one wine this is the wine it would be. We achieve this on a micro scale by selecting small parcels of fruit from every combination of rootstock/scion, slope, soil profile, and vine age on the property. We then vinify, age, and bottle this wine separately from our other lots. This bottling is always the most representative of the growing year. It incorporates every element of the farm for better or worse. It is the most accurate representation of Johan Vineyards’ terroir. Vintage Notes We had an early bud-‐break and consistent warm temperatures throughout the summer. In late September, however, Mother Nature threw us a curveball in the form of a six-‐ inch torrential downpour over four forgettable days, referred to in the wine industry as the great ‘monsoon’. Despite the challenge of this unseasonable weather event the fruit held up remarkably well. In hindsight, the monsoon also had its advantages because it represented a welcomed shift in weather patterns. The daytime temperatures dropped significantly after the rains, slowing down the ripening process. This was a much-‐needed change after having experienced a very warm summer with accelerated ripening. The cooling provided us with another three to four weeks of “hang-‐time” for our grapes, giving them time to develop more complex flavors. Production Notes This Pinot Noir was made from all 10 clones of Pinot Noir grown in our estate vineyards. The grapes were fermented (both primary and malolactic) using exclusively native yeast, with approximately 45% whole-‐cluster. The wine was aged for 10 months in 100% French oak barrels; 28% were new. pH 3.69 TA 6.1 Alc. 12.2%
Vintages
Following the difficult and late vintage of 2022, 2023 was a “breeze” comparatively. With relatively average budbreak and bloom dates, the rest of the summer provided ample warmth, with a warmer than average August which accelerated ripening and pushed veraison …
Following a relatively warm 2021-22 winter, the 2022 spring will long be remembered for frost impacts and the prolonged cool and wet conditions into mid-June. The vines were slow to recover but experienced nearly ideal conditions during bloom that lead …
The Pacific Northwest experienced a relatively warm winter during 2020-2021, and much of the Willamette valley saw average to below average winter precipitation. With a cool and dry start to the growing season, we saw budbreak the third week of …
The 2019 growing season began with a mild early winter, followed by a cold and wet second half of winter that progressed throughout the pruning season. Spring temperatures were mild but ongoing precipitation windows continued through early July, creating an …
2018 was the fourth warmest year on record for the planet and the 8!!! warmest year in Oregon history. We had dry year overall for the western U.S. Rain-wise, with an unusually dry May & June providing beautiful weather for …
In comparison to the previous three vintages, 2017 was a welcoming shift back to a “more normal” Willamette Valley growing season. Thanks to an abundant amount of rain (and snow in the high country), we saw bud break 4 weeks …
Much like 2014 & 2015, 2016 was another early year here in the Willamette Valley. With a budbreak in early April and a warm spring, the growing season kicked off and the canopy grew rapidly over the next couple of …
The 2015 growing season was the warmest, driest year on record in the recent history of the Willamette Valley. We were thankful for our strong winds from the Van Duzer Corridor, which bring a nice cooling effect in the heat …
The 2014 growing season was significantly warmer than the average year with very little rainfall throughout the growing season. After an early bud-break (mid April) the canopy grew rapidly over the next couple of months due to dry soils and …
Technical: pH 3.69, TA 6.1 g/L.
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