Our Philosophy
What is Terroir?
Place + Time + People
Terroir is the characteristic “flavor”, imparted to a wine, by the “Environment” in which it is produced. Terroir is a reference to the whole ecology of a vineyard AND the “flavor” this ecology promotes in the wines made from its fruit. A vineyard’s ecology includes more elements than one could possibly describe, that come together in complex ways to create grapes with inimitable composition and wines with their own unique personality. This ecology includes a vineyard’s static Environment (Place), including its soils, meso-climate, elevation, aspect, microbiome, and other obvious site elements. However, it also includes the Vintage (Time)… the environmental conditions delivered by Mother Nature in a given year, as well as the winegrower’s decisions (People) that can also influence the environment the vines see. Simply put, Terroir is the “flavor” of a Place, from a moment in Time, shaped by the hand of the People.
The Élevée Approach
Sustainability + Purity + Magic
Élevée is French for “elevated” and is a reference to the importance of our elevated vineyard sites that All fall within a narrow elevation band ranging from 450ft to 900ft. Élevée is, at its heart, a “Study in Terroir”. We are winegrowers… because to us, our growing decisions are winemaking decisions. Our winemaking begins early in the year, in the vineyard, months before any grapes reach our winery facility. All our vineyards are LIVE Certified Sustainable, Organic, or Demeter Certified Biodynamic and are all “dry-farmed” with no use of any herbicides. Our ultimate goal is to introduce you to the most beautiful, dramatic, and wonderfully diverse personalities of Pinot noir and cool climate whites from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. To achieve this we have identified, and continue to identify, the most diverse and dramatic environments to grow our grapes, that promise to deliver wines with the most diverse and dramatic expressions. We then carefully farm our vineyards and handle our wines in ways that capture the purest expression of each site. ALL our winegrowing decisions are guided by this singular focus… “Purity”. We don’t try to force the wines made from each vineyard to look the way we think they should. Instead, like any good parent, we provide the support and encouragement necessary, so they may become what they are intrinsically meant to be… and the guidance to become their best selves. We want to bring “Magic” to the World… unique and interesting wines with character and soul, that engage, inspire, and surprise. Although we never stray from this singular focus, the way we farm and the way we handle and age our wines continues to change and evolve as we continue to discover better ways to expose and render each site’s unique and distinctive flavors.