Notes from Clow Corner Road

The passage into summer is a joyful thing. As the days begin to lengthen and the temperature climbs, one is reminded of the tranquility of childhood. Long afternoons by the pool, the lake or the sea. Climbing up a welcoming tree. Jumping on a bike to scout out new territory. Venturing out into the world beyond the obligations of school and schedules.

Summer at the base of Mount Pisgah is just as special. Our ancient oaks are just coming into their full glory as the vines bloom with flower clusters that burgeon the entire vineyard with their lovely fragrance. Bloom (or inflorescence) will be followed soon by fruit set, as the flowers begin to form small green berries that will eventually grow into grapes.

 Next week we will begin pulling the leaves away from these new clusters on the east side of the trellis so that they receive more morning sun and air flow to avoid mildew, leaving some leaves on the west side of the trellis so the young grapes will not be sunburned in the long afternoon sun.  As fruit set continues, we will start to have an idea of what harvest will look like in the fall.

But for now, we will enjoy the beauty of the sun as it makes its way across our slope and stretches across the valley before it begins its long journey over the Pacific. We will have a glass in hand as the oaks whisper their secrets in the breeze and the crickets begin their nightly symphony.

Late Spring, early summer

WALK THE VINEYARD WITH US

Open Claim Vineyards 2016 Pinot Noir

TASTING ROOM UPDATE

The long, warm days are bringing another happy event to the vineyard. The construction of our new tasting room is its final phase. We have endeavored to apply the principles
of sustainability and stewardship that
we established in the vineyard. Wherever possible we have used handcrafted products from the west created by artisans close to home.

We have just installed stone floors from Montana. Our oak floors and all of the interior doors were made by a small company in Oregon, as are the cabinets and shelves. Door and cabinet hardware are from Idaho.  

Solar power will provide electricity, and for water and irrigation we are capturing Oregon's plentiful rainwater from the roof.  As we look forward to finishing out the landscaping, more than half of our total plantings will be native plants selected for their ability to provide food and or shelter for pollinators, birds and other wild creatures.

2017 CHARDONNAY RELEASE

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy our 2017 Willamette Valley Chardonnay. Released on May 15th, this chardonnay features 60% Dijon clone 95 and 40% Dijon clone 76.

Upon tasting, the wine displays gorgeous aromas of crème brûlée, lemon curd, Meyer lemon, mandarin orange peel, slight barrel toast, and wet stone.  The palate is juicy and bright with flavors of lemon lime, white pineapple, barrel spice, citrus rind and lemon drop with great intensity and a lingering finish.

Find out why the Washington Wine Blog called our latest release “…really thrilling stuff that has not only a seamless quality but excellent aromatic and flavor range.”

If you would like to sample this wonderful chardonnay, please go
here to secure your allocation.

!SALUD!

We are incredibly fortunate to have an organization like ¡Salud¡ in the Willamette Valley. Salud was created by a group Oregon vineyard owners and Tuality Healthcare physicians to help vineyard workers meet their basic healthcare needs.

Salud is now bringing Covid-19 screening clinics directly to vineyard workers two to three times per week providing, screening; temperature checks; health history assessments, routine lab assessments; and referrals to federally qualified health center or emergency departments.

Additional weekend clinics are available for workers who are unable to travel to a vineyard during the week.

If you are interested in supporting Salud’s healthcare efforts, while adding some rare and incredible wines to your cellar, the three day e-auction of 2019 ¡Salud! Cuvée is being held July 14-16,
please go here.