Laura Volkman has a small and fanatical following, mostly longtime Oregon Pinot collectors
who know a rising star when they find one.
Laura Volkman grew up in poverty on a farm in Claremore, Oklahoma, where growing crops was a matter of survival, food was canned in jars and women were the backbone of keeping the house and family together during harsh economic times.
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Laura Volkman Vineyards:
Three Generations of Strong Women
Laura makes small amounts of estate grown Pinot noir from her 3 acre vineyard. She's known around the wine community for her singular style. She does almost all of the work in the vineyard and the winemaking herself. Intensely focused, she's obsessively dedicated to her wine, from first bud through harvest. If you've ever become so focused on a project that nothing else exists, you know how Laura makes her wine.
One of our favorite winemakers, Howard Mozeico of Et Fille, introduced us - he kept telling us about Laura's exceptional wines. Takes one to know one.
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Avalon friend Robyn Lillehei on Laura Volkman's "Rachel Pinot noir 09
The celery, shallots and garlic were “setting up” in the sauté pan, just as Alida Marie had counseled during my Cajun cooking lesson 27 years ago. It was time to toss in a bit more olive oil, a few tablespoons of flour and stir like mad to create a roux....read more
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Laura studied at the Northwest Viticulture Center in Salem, Oregon and interned with Mike Etzel at Beaux Freres during the 2001 and 2002 crush.
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PinotFile's Princely Pinot Selection - September 2009
Laura Volkman Vineyards:
"She clears the land and plants a vineyard"
by Rusty Gaffney, Avalon Wine Guest Columnist
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I had a 2006 Jacob a few weeks ago and I'm savoring the memory. We had it with a perfectly roasted leg of lamb encrusted with hazelnuts and sauced with an Oregon truffle gravy. OMG. But even compared to the fantastic wild truffles, the hit compon...
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This is the richest and plushest of Laura's last three vintages of St. James. She took advantage of the riper 2009 vintage to make a balanced wine with big, upfront juiciness and smooth tannins. The St. James has her trademark aroma of incense,...
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Elegant and sophisticated as usual, but a bit richer than the 2008, with ripe red raspberries and cherries in a sensuous, silky wine complemented by sweet spice and a hint of fresh herbs. This is a refined and graceful Pinot noir, in contrast to h...
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The Bella Chardonnay is fruit we purchase from the Celilo Vineyard in Underwood, Washington. Aged in a combination of stainless and french oak we stir the lees weekly, giving it great body and aromas.
Previous Vintage Tasting Notes...
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