Patton Valley Vineyard
Patton Valley’s beginnings date back to the early 1980’s when business school classmates Dave Chen and Monte Pitt dreamed of turning their passion for wine into a business. A decade later, after many conversations and bottles of Pinot Noir, we took the plunge in 1995, purchasing 72 acres in the northern reaches of the Willamette Valley, and the dream behind Patton Valley became a reality. That dream is now a nationally recognized Pinot Noir vineyard and winery.
All of our efforts are focused on expressing the character of our site in the hand-crafted Pinot Noirs we produce. Meticulous and sustainable viticultural practices ensure that our estate- grown fruit will deliver a memorable experience to the consumer, as well as protect and preserve our land.
Set on a hillside overlooking the Patton Valley outside of Gaston, Oregon, the vineyard currently comprises 24 acres of densely planted vines, with the first blocks planted in 1997. To achieve complexity and nuance so vital to Pinot Noir, a mixture of clones have been planted, including Dijon clones 113, 114, 115, 667 and 777, as well as Oregon standards Pommard and Wadenswil.
Our Laurelwood soils provide the excellent drainage needed to make high quality Pinot Noir. Farmed using sustainable and organic techniques, Patton Valley is LIVE® certified for sustainable vineyard and winemaking practices. Yields are kept low, at or below 2 tons per acre, to ensure proper ripening and fruit complexity.
A blend of Old World tradition and modern winemaking equipment go into production of our wines. Our foremost winemaking tenet, to handle the wine as little as possible, is vital to producing fine Pinot Noir. New wines from our 100% estate-grown fruit go directly into barrels following primary fermentation without settling, are aged on their lees and are usually racked only once just prior to hand bottling. Indigenous yeasts are used along with the finest French oak barrels. Our wines are produced without filtering in order to deliver suppleness and richness.
At Patton Valley, we are fully committed to running our operation in a sustainable manner. In the 2006 vintage, we were finally fully certified as sustainable by the organization LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Eneology).
Patton Valley Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir 2008 – The 2008 Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir is all about intensity, concentration and structure. Its nose is a pantry of dark, exotic spices, black cherries, loamy earth and spring flowers. The wine quietly announces its entry with a sleek and highly refined texture that fails to hint at the bold concentration that follows. The mid-palate is a dense and complex array of dark cherry, plum, clove, anise and molasses. With near perfect balance of fruit, acid and tannin, the vintage will likely be regarded for its longevity; the result of the vintages slow ripening. Cellar with confidence for a decade or more. Wine Spectator: 92 points; Robert Parker: 91 Points
