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Lia's Vineyard has two blocks of Chardonnay. For 2007, we worked with the upper block. This block has well-drained jory soil and we think it contributes to the wonderful spicy notes that characterize our Chardonnay. Our Chardonnay is Wente selection, which has been unfairly maligned, in our opinion. Contrary to what some may claim, it does ripen in the Willamette Valley (albeit barely) and makes a wonderful wine. Our only complaint is that yields tend to be very low, which makes for expensive fruit -- and not enough wine. We harvested on October 11, 2007, and brought in about 1.1 tons per acre. The fruit was pressed, then spontaneously fermented in neutral oak barrels where it remained for 17 months. We bottled on March 3, 2009. Only 63 cases made for the lucky few.

For the 2008 vintage we added a one-acre block of Pommard clone that we felt had potential to make a solid "reserve" quality wine combined with our favorite half acre of Wädenswil and some 115 from the lower blocks. We farmed these blocks differently, with lower yields and added attention. In the barrel room, four barrels really stood out as just showing the potential to develop into a world-class pinot noir. While we aren't big fans of privilege and exclusivity, we decided to bottle these barrels separately as a limited quantity reserve. The result is an earthy wine with hints of tar complementing our characteristic cherry flavors and mouth-watering acidity. The fruit is 25 percent Pommard, 25 percent Wädenswil, 40 percent 115 and 10 percent Mariafeld. Harvest was October 15 and 27, 2008, with an average brix at harvest of 24.1. After fermentation, the wine was aged in small oak barrels for 10 months before bottling on September 23, 2009.

The 2008 vintage was marked by a late start and a late finish. A compressed growing season contributed to smaller cluster sizes and yields that would obliterate any reasonable business plan. Fortunately for you (but not so much for us), we've never really been fond of business plans - we just do our best to grow great wine. This bottling again highlights the bright fruit of our Dijon 115 clone (55 percent), with some Wädenswil (20 percent), Pommard (15 percent) and Mariafeld (10 percent) adding a bit of complexity to the wine. The ripe fruit gives a hint of bramble and blackberry in addition to our site's characteristic bright pie cherry flavors. Despite the deep color, the wine is quite delicate, yet it has a playful edginess that we appreciate. The fruit was harvested on October 15 and 27, 2008, with an average brix at harvest of 24.1. After fermentation, the wine was aged in small oak barrels for 10 months before bottling on September 23, 2009.