Notes from the Producer: 

"Founded by Andrew Riechers and John Soares in 2021 to explore their mutual love of both Galician wines and the incredible terroir that Oregon has to offer. The journey started with the unique Treos Vineyard, located between Monmouth and Corvallis in the middle of the Willamette Valley, where just over an acre of Albariño is planted, while visiting the vineyard, they were gently distracted by the uppermost corner where, tucked against the oaks, 700 Sangiovese vines selected from the Biondi-Santi vineyards call home.

In 2022 after years of anticipation, the Three Mile Vineyard came on line with its first crop. Located just south of The Dalles, the easternmost point of the Columbia River Gorge that receives rainfall, the Mitchell Wine group planted a kaleidoscope of cultivars, hoping a cadre of adventurous winemakers would come knocking."

About the cuvee:

"Sourced from a 3 acre block on Cherryhill Loam soils at the North facing peak of the vineyard. This block has its own, cooler, microclimate which creates an environment that helps the grapes retain their acidity. The snow lasts into Spring while the rest of the vineyard has continuous precipitation. The cover crop is a native seed mix, foraged from plants onsite.

The grapes were crushed by foot before being extractively and oxidatively pressed. After a short settling the juice and fine solids are put into various sized neutral oak barrels for fermentation. The wine then sees a full 12 month elevage in barrel before being racked, with solids again, to stainless steel for another 4-6 months before bottling."

Flor impressions:

Chenin Blanc is one of those grapes that seems to only taste precisely right when it's made in its home region. Though this one was grown about as far from the Loire Valley as you can get, John and Andrew managed to make it in a way that highlights all of Chenin's typicity that wine geeks love: a nose of honey, white flowers, and poached pears, with rounded edges to its fairly full body, and flavors of golden apple and cream. Impressive!

-GG, tasted 11/6/24