Youngberg Hill Vineyards and Inn 888 657 8668 Oregon bed breakfast, Oregon wine country wedding, Willamette Valley Oregon B and B

Our philosophy of making wine at Youngberg Hill is to let the fruit make the wine. We focus our attention on producing the highest quality of fruit possible, and then managing the fruit through the fermentation process for it to produce the finest wine it has to offer. By limiting yields and restrained barrel treatment, we are able to give the purest expression of our vineyard in producing our wines.

The earth’s soil components are complimented by distinct weather in these coast foothills. Our weather is most heavily influenced by weather patterns coming up the Van Duzer Pass from the coast. This influence provides more precipitation than most of the valley, more sun days and cooler temperatures both day and night. This combination provides an excellent terroir for our vineyard to produce extremely high quality fruit with rich, intense black fruit flavors, earthy spices, and higher acids giving structure and muscular qualities to our wines.

We started practicing organic farming in 2003 and are moving toward sustainable farming. We are LIVE certified. We are most interested in sustaining and even improving the quality and balance of the soil and the viens. We believe that it will produce the highest quality of fruit and maintain the integrity of those qualities the soils give to the fruit.

The Vineyard

Youngberg Hill Vineyards is 12 acres of Pinot Noir planted in 1989 and 5 acres of Pinot Gris. The pinot noir is own-root, 60% Pommard clone and 40% Wadenswil, and the pinot girs is on 3309 root stock of 146 & 152 clones. Natasha Block is the larger of the two at an altitude of approximately 650 feet on Willakenzie soil. The Jordan Block is on a steeper slope at an altitude of approximately 750 feet on predominately Steiwer soil. The Aspen Block is at 600 feet on Steiwer soil. We do not irrigate.

2004 Natasha Block Pinot Noir - Wine Spectator Score of 91

The Natasha Block is in thin Willakenzie soil on top of basalt, south facing at an elevation of 650 feet. Backed up against the Coast Foothills, the vineyard is only 25 miles from the Pacific; providing cooler temperatures, more sunny days, and more rain. That terroir combined with 60% Pommard and 40% Wadenswil own-root clones, provides fruit intense in black fruit flavors, minerals and spices, and higher acidity. The 2004 Natasha Block has a crisp texture with light cinnamon and spice undertones. It has attractive blueberry, raspberry and plum notes with a hint of cherry pie. The flavors are deep and flow from beginning to end with a finish of fresh juniper berry. The tannins are fine grained, yet still a little tight. It was aged for twelve months in neutral French oak barrels to let the fruits qualities shine. Best paired with salmon, white meats and cheeses, the Natasha Block is well balanced and will drink best from 2008 through 2016.

2004 Jordan Block Pinot Noir - Wine Spectator Score of 88

Backed up against the Coast Foothills, the Youngberg Hill is only 25 miles from the Pacific; providing cooler temperatures, more sunny days, and more rain. The Jordan Block is at a higher elevation of 750 to 800 feet, sloping southeasterly, on thin layers of Stiewer soils dusting a base of Basalt rock. That terroir combined with 60% Pommard and 40% Wadenswil own-root clones, provides fruit intense in black fruit flavors, minerals and spices, and higher acidity. The 2004 Jordan Block has layers of spice, eucalyptus, and mushrooms. It has broad complex flavors of blackberry, currant, vanilla, and plum. There is a wonderful finish of light oak and smoke. The tannins are firm, big and silky smooth which invite depth and complexity. It was aged for fourteen months in 10% new and 90% neutral French oak barrels to let the fruits qualities shine through. The 2004 Jordan Block is best paired with grilled red meats, game, and anything using truffles. It is extremely drinkable now best through 2016.