Notes from Martin Woods:

The site:

Hyland vineyard is one of the Willamette Valley's historic vineyards, planted in the early 1970s with clonal selections of Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot noir that originated in Alsace. These vines are now referred to as "Coury" selections‒named for Charles Coury who sourced the cuttings. These blocks of Dijon 115 and Coury Pinot noir were both planted self-rooted in 1989 in iron-rich volcanic soil. The vines have thus far (after more than 30 years) resisted phylloxera and instead show signs of health and longevity. The vineyard is farmed organically and without irrigation. Hyland is situated on the shoulder of the van duzer gap, the "air-conditioning" pathway through the Coast Range where marine air enters from the west and cools the Willamette Valley. Persistent wind spills over this neighborhood, moderating temperatures and allowing for patient ripening and retention of fresh acidity. I find there is always a distinct textural elegance and freshness to this wine, coupled with lifted aromatics, that delights me year after year.

The growing season:

A classic shift to cooler temps and occasional moisture of moderate intensity in late-September and early October brought the 2021 growing season to a beautiful conclusion. Despite some significant heats spikes in mid-Summer, the vines supported a good crop of clean fruit (medium-small berries with thick skins) with balanced flavors and phenolic maturity. We were immediately pleased in the winery with what we thought promised exceptional quality...which has proven true. The vintage has always shown a precocious resolution of structure that makes the wines delightful in youth, while also certainly possessing long cellaring potential.

Winemaking:

Picked Sept. 26 & Oct. 4, 2021. 15% whole clusters layered in small open top fermenters. 23 days total on skins. Once daily punchdowns starting on day 10. Peak fermentation temps 80-82F. Aged without sulfur for 6 months. Aged 14 months total on lees (no stirring) in 228L barrels, average age 4-5 years (only 5% new oak). Racked carefully and bottled without fining on Dec. 16, 2022. Diam 10 corks. TA 5.4, pH 3.62, RS 0.0 g/L,13.4% Alc.