In
Oregon's Northern Willamette Valley, a region known for its Pinot noir,
winery David Hill
Vineyards is finding a niche with a grape of a different
color. The winery successfully produces a white Muscat Port, a product
so rare that David Hill is the only
winery in Oregon, and one of only a handful in the Pacific Northwest,
to produce the fortified wine.
David Hill winemaker Pascal Valadier and
vineyard owner Milan Stoyanov took a gamble in producing the white
Muscat Port: "We were warned by distributors
and brokers that consumers wouldn't accept a white Port, because the
color didn't fit the traditional image of a Port," explained Valadier. "But
the Muscat grape imparts such a strong, sweet flavor that I firmly believed
wine lovers would be receptive."
White Port gets its color from white grapes, as opposed to the red grapes
used in traditional ports. David Hill's white Port, made from the Muscat
grape, is golden in hue, a trait owed to the natural oxidation that occurs
when the wine is aged in cask. The Port is heady and sweet, with a wealth
and intensity of floral and complex aromas.
The Muscat grapes used to make the white Port, with the exception of
the 2000 vintage, are estate grown on vines planted at an elevation ranging
from 280 to 540 feet. The grapes are cultivated in Laurelwood silt, a
soil that is deep and drains well. The fermentation is stopped at 10
percent residual sugar by fortifying the wine with Clear Creek distilled,
high-proof brandy. The Port is then aged in 132-gallon French oak puncheons
for more than a year, resulting in a finished wine that's between 20
and 21 percent alcohol with intense peach, gooseberry and licorice aromas,
and a soft caramel background.
Valadier, a native of France, is well educated in the science of vines
and wines, with a bachelor's degree in agricultural biochemistry, and
an agronomical engineering degree in oenology. He is trained in all different
winemaking techniques, including port wines and brandy production.
"The risk Milan and I took paid off," stated Valadier. "The
Muscat Port is a strong seller at our tasting room, and is responsible
for nearly 10% of the winery's overall sales." David Hill produced
736 cases of its 2000 Muscat Port, which retails at $20 per 500 ml bottle.
The winery also produces a 1997 Tawny Port from a blend of estate-grown
grapes and grapes from another Willamette Valley vineyard, and is in
the process of building a traditional Solara system for the Tawny Port.
It is doubtful that the Ports will ever make up a majority of the winery's
portfolio; Pinot noir is still the main grape employed at David Hill,
making up more than half of the planted fields. But in the saturated
wine market of the Northern Willamette Valley's, white Port gives David
Hill Vineyards a little extra edge.
From the winery
owners:
The Stoyanov's have owned the David Hill property since November 1992. We chose
the name, David Hill, because we are on David Hill (hill), and on David Hill
Road. David Hill was a real person. Not only was the city of Hillsboro named
for him, he was also chairman of a three-person committee who first oversaw the
territorial government of Oregon, in effect, the first governor of Oregon before
it became a state. In addition, Henry David, another pioneer, is remembered by
the name of the hill and the road where our winery is located.
The land was homesteaded in 1883 (it was then known
as Rueter's Farm), and grapes were planted at that time. When prohibition
came to Oregon in 1913 the grapes were mostly torn out (only a small
number of vines were kept for personal use). In 1965 Charles Coury, along
with a few other wine pioneers, came north from California to establish
vineyards in the Willamette Valley where they believed they could successfully
grow Pinot Noir. The property went through several hands until the Stoyanovs
bought it in 1992. During 1993 and 1994 the house and winery buildings
were extensively restored, while keeping the original exterior shape
of the house. (The house is on the Washington County Historical Register.)
The house, surrounding yard and gardens is the site for many events,
including weddings, receptions of all kinds, corporate meetings, etc.
At this time our vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir
(50 %), Riesling (10 %), Pinot Gris (15 %), Chardonnay (10 %), Gewürztraminer
(10 %), and miscellaneous varietals (5 %). We offer mostly estate wines.
Milan & Jean Stoyanov
April 2002
This wine really swept us away. This wine and dessert were clearly lovers in a past life. It's hard to know where to start without totally gushing. First of all, this is a Port style wine. Twenty per ...read more
The David Hill Vineyard Tawny Port is Solera aged. It has been held in a 500L French oak puncheon its entire life. This very smooth brandy fortified wine is not too sweet for Port, neither too rich, h ...read more
Empty ...read more
Light, simple, but balanced, with pleasant red raspberry and cherry flavors and reasonable acidity. Tannins are well integrated and unobtrusive. ...read more
David Hill Winery's Sweet Simplicy Dessert wine is made from 68% Semillon and 32% Sylvaner. The aromas remind you of a tropical paradise where bananas, pineapples, citrus and coconuts abound. The ...read more
Limited. ...read more
White peaches, citrus and dried flowers in flavor and scent. ...read more
In
Oregon's Northern Willamette Valley, a region known for its Pinot noir,
winery David Hill
Vineyards is finding a niche with a grape of a different
color. The winery successfully produces a white Muscat Port, a product
so rare that David Hill is the only
winery in Oregon, and one of only a handful in the Pacific Northwest,
to produce the fortified wine.
