Martin Woods Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 2021

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.