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Pike Road Wines Soil Series: Sandstone

Pictured: Marine soils at Quandary Vineyards looking south down the Yamhill Valley

Pike Road Wines Soil Series

The Willamette Valley has quite the soil story to tell! Whether it's volcanic eruptions, oceanic deposits, strong winds, or glacial floods - each soil has its sub-plot. At roughly 120 miles long and 40 miles wide the beautiful Willamette Valley offers a complex mélange of these distinctive soils that are exposed in the eroding hillsides and planted to grapevines. Each grapevine is influenced by the soil it is planted on, impacting the development of the grapes and contributing to the stylistic nuances of the wine’s aromas and flavors. To highlight this incredible connection between earth and vine, each vintage features one of the three major soils found in the Willamette Valley, letting this incredible connection speak through what we call the Soil Series! 

Introducing the 2023 Sandstone Soil Series Pinot Noir! 

For the 2023 vintage, we are highlighting one of the oldest soils found in the Willamette Valley – Marine Sediments. These soils derive from sand and silt sedimentation underneath the cold Pacific Ocean waters over a 20 – 40 million timeframe creating a fractured beige-colored sandstone. Interestingly, because of the cold ocean conditions of our northern Pacific Ocean, there was very little Limestone deposited during the development of these soils. Instead, our icy waters created an array of free-draining fractured sandstones that underly much of western Oregon. Tectonic movements and activity of the Pacific Plate and Juan De Fuca Plate encountering the North American Plate over millennia have lifted and exposed these soils in the greatest quantities along the Coast Range of the Willamette Valley. 

Soil Profile: The Marine Sediments of the Willamette Valley have many different variants, with Willakenzie, Melbourne, Goodin, and Bellpine being the most significant. These sandstone-based soils can be quite shallow - meaning less topsoil before the roots reach the sandstone bedrock.  These soils provide very little water retention, forcing vines to dig deep to survive. The fractured sandstone creates extra water stress for the vines during our dry summers which generally causes smaller berry development and slows the development of the skin tannins, providing the unique aromatic and flavor profile of these Pinot Noirs. 

Wine Styles: Darker fruits such as black cherry and blackberry along with complex savory layers and dark floral notes often define the profile of wines from marine sediments. The tannins tend to be big creating wines with broad shoulders and deep flavors. Wines from marine sediment soils can often require a little extra bottle age to show their best but once given the time, they are capable of producing some of the most intense and dynamic Pinot Noirs found in the Willamette Valley. 

92 Points - Vinous

Our 2021 Quandary Vineyard Pinot Noir has been awarded a 92-point score by Vinous:

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Quandary Vineyard is understated and coy, with rosy florals and cinnamon spice tones that slowly give way to dried cherries. Supple and pliant, it smoothes over the palate with ease, displaying ripe red berry fruits lifted by a mentholated herbal freshness. While gently tannic, the 2021 leaves the mouth watering for more, tapering off long and lightly structured yet fresh." - Eric Guido 

This review was published to subscribers in May 2024 at www.vinous.com

92 Points - Vinous

Our 2021 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir has been awarded a 92-point score by Vinous:

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is dark and rich in the glass, showing dusty dried violet and lavender tones over notes of steeped plum and brown spice. This flows across the palate with textures of pure silk, supple and pliant, with juicy acidity and vividly ripe wild berry fruits. It finishes with medium length—lifted and finessed, with echoes of licorice and blue inner florals." - Eric Guido 

This review was published to subscribers in May 2024 at www.vinous.com

91+ Points - Vinous

Our 2021 Meyer Vineyard Pinot Noir has been awarded a 91+ point score by Vinous:

"Darkly floral, the 2021 Pinot Noir Meyer Vineyard slowly evolves with a whiff of flowery underbrush, ashen stones and ground cloves. Cool-toned in feel, with silky textures and fresh acidity, this impresses with its vivacity and perfumed wild berry fruits. Gently tannic, the 2021 finishes medium in length, repeating blue and purple florals that resonate on." - Eric Guido 

This review was published to subscribers in May 2024 at www.vinous.com

91 Points - Vinous

Our 2021 Sokol Blosser Vineyard Pinot Noir has been awarded a 91-point score by Vinous:

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Sokol Blosser Vineyard bursts from the glass with a mix of autumnal spices, rosy florals and dried black cherries. It's silken in feel with juicy acidity and red berry fruits. The 2021 leaves the palate dry, closing with an inner floral tinge of violets and lavender that slowly recedes." - Eric Guido 

This review was published to subscribers in May 2024 at www.vinous.com

 

 

91 Points - Vinous

Our 2021 Quandary Vineyard Chardonnay has been awarded a 91-point score by Vinous:

"The 2021 Chardonnay Quandary Vineyard opens with an airy blend of spring flowers, lime and crushed stones. This splashes across the palate with ripe orchard fruits and sweet spices, all energized by juicy acidity. It finishes with admirable length and concentration but remains incredibly fresh, closing with a mix of tactile minerals and hints of lemon zest." - Eric Guido

This review was published to subscribers in May 2024 at www.vinous.com

90 Points - Vinous

Our 2023 Pinot Gris has been awarded a 90-point score by Vinous:

"The 2023 Pinot Gris is understated with a pretty bouquet of spring flowers, wet stones and freshly sliced nectarines. It's ripe in style, displaying depths of green melon and white peach tones motivated by brisk acidity. A tactile tinge of minerality lingers as this tapers off staining and long with a lasting hint of kiwi." - Eric Guido

This review was published to subscribers in May 2024 at www.vinous.com

91 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

Our 2021 Quandary Vineyard Chardonnay has been awarded a 91-point score by Jeb Dunnuck:

"Bright yellow/silver-hued, the 2021 Chardonnay Quandary Vineyard comes from young vines planted in 2016 and located in Yamhill-Carlton. It has a light bit of flint lift on the nose, with notes of yellow apples, delicate baking spice, wet stones, and salted lemon. Medium-bodied, it gains in intensity on the palate while remaining fresh and medium-framed, with a lovely, fresh persistence on the finish. Another highly charming wine, simple is sometimes better, and this would be perfect alongside roast chicken. Drink it over the next 3-4 years, but I like where it is now." - Audrey Frick

This review was published to subscribers in August 2024 at www.jebdunnuck.com

91 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

Our 2021 Sokol Blosser Vineyard Pinot Noir has been awarded a 91-point score by Jeb Dunnuck:

"From vines planted in 1971 in the Dundee Hills, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sokol Blosser Vineyard is a deeper ruby/magenta color and offers notes of fresh black cherries, violets, spiced cranberries, and pine. Medium-bodied, it has ripe tannins, zesty, lifted acidity, and a clean, earthy finish. It is going to benefit from another several months in bottle and will drink well over the coming 8-10 years." - Audrey Frick

This review was published to subscribers in August 2024 at www.jebdunnuck.com

91 Points - Jeb Dunnuck

Our 2021 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir has been awarded a 91-point score by Jeb Dunnuck:

"The medium ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard comes from Yamhill-Carlton and is layered with nicely detailed aromas of preserved cranberries, fresh pine, mint, and rocky earth. It carried a nicely balanced linear feel on the palate, with finely coiled tannins, mouthwatering, fresh acidity, and a mineral texture. It’s going to benefit from another year in bottle, then drink it over the following 6-8 years." - Audrey Frick

This review was published to subscribers in August 2024 at www.jebdunnuck.com