For us, the sensory experience of wine is only part of it; when it’s combined with a wine’s distinct perspective, well, this is what truly captivates us. How it can make you think: about its growing year; about the people who made it; about all the hopes and dreams, decisions and events that shaped what is there in
the bottle.
We grow our grapes and make our wines to frame the year, whatever it may be, and nothing more. Minerality, earth, savoriness, reticent fruit; this is what we relish. We’ve always known The Grande Dalles wine would not be for everyone, but that was never the point.
Leroy's Finest Bone Dry Riesling
Leroy’s Finest was named after Scott and Stephanie’s cowboy vineyard consultant, a true “American Dreamer” and straight shooter who does “whatever it takes” to get things done.
Gampo Sangiovese (Brunello clone)-focused
Named after Stephanie’s Italian grandfather from upstate New York, a quiet man, with heavy-footed lumber, thick hands, an impeccable, well coiffed, full head of grey hair...
Home Place Tempranillo-focused
Scott’s home place was in Kansas, raised in the same farmhouse as his father. He disc-ed fields, harvested wheat, and raised pigs to put himself through college.
Longchamp Bordeaux-varietal-focused
Scott was a postdoctoral student in France, but he really wanted to learn about wine. Mr. Belin, owner of the neighborhood wine shop La Cave de Longchamp, took Scott under his wing...
Leroy's Finest Bone Dry Riesling
Leroy’s Finest was named after Scott and Stephanie’s cowboy vineyard consultant, a true “American Dreamer” and straight shooter who does “whatever it takes” to get things done. In his 70s, with over a half-century of vineyard experience, he taught Scott and Stephanie much of what they learned about farming a vineyard. When they first met, Leroy was one of the few who truly believed in Scott and Stephanie’s endeavor. The riesling cuttings are from Leroy’s Umpqua Valley vineyard.
“Leroy’s Finest was chosen as the name of our riesling because we want to honor Leroy for his guidance and his belief in us, and especially for his friendship.” - Scott and Stephanie
Gampo Sangiovese (Brunello clone)-focused
Named after Stephanie’s Italian grandfather from upstate New York, a quiet man, with heavy-footed lumber, thick hands, an impeccable, well coiffed, full head of grey hair, and always a giant smile when he saw her. While her Gampo did not live to see the accomplishments of his “snot-nosed honey,” Stephanie knows he’s watching her now, his eyes behind his thick glasses deep and twinkling.
“For my easy-going, gentle Gampo who so smilingly went along, and all those mirthful Gampo moments, this wine is for him.” - Stephanie
Home Place Tempranillo-focused
Scott’s home place was in Kansas, raised in the same farmhouse as his father. He disc-ed fields, harvested wheat, and raised pigs to put himself through college. In 2003 it hit him, for both personal and practical reasons, it was his time to get back to the farm and that’s when he started planning the vineyard. This wine represents Scott’s connection to his farm-life upbringing.
“Home Place was chosen as the name for our tempranillo-focused wine as a way for me to always remember my home place on that Kansas farm.” - Scott
Longchamp Bordeaux-varietal-focused
Scott was a postdoctoral student in France, but he really wanted to learn about wine. Mr. Belin, owner of the neighborhood wine shop La Cave de Longchamp, took Scott under his wing and mentored him, showing him the beauty and individuality of wine.
"Longchamp was chosen as the name of our cabernet sauvignon-focused wine because Mr. Belin, owner of Cave de Longchamp, took the time to show me the beauty of wine, and how it is inseparable from the people and land that it comes from." - Scott
Vintages
2008 Scott’s 2008 Recollections
Spring was unseasonably cool, with budbreak 2-3 weeks later than anticipated. Things really took off in July and August with summer’s typical warmth, and wind. In early July we ushered in Samuel, our first and only child. Soon after, the birds ushered themselves in at an alarming rate, easily eating 1/4 of our ripening crop. This despite Road Trip Sept. ’08, a sun-racing rendezvous around Mt. Hood for a bird distress-call microchip, and then a mad dash into the vineyard in daylight’s last seconds to install it. Samuel cried most of the drive home that night, and the calls didn’t scare away the birds.
2008 Gampo
Buy13% alc. by vol.
80 cases produced
Scott’s Tasting Impressions
Red raspberry, earthiness, basil, fine tannins.
This description represents what we’ve always experienced when tasting ’08 Gampo. Tasting wine is subjective, with wine slowly, and constantly changing in the bottle. Here’s what ’08 Gampo has shown since its bottling in Spring 2010:
March, 2011 | Raspberry, wet earth, mineral, basil, fine tannins
December, 2010 | Raspberry, espresso, wet earth, basil, fine tannins
May, 2010 | Ruby red. On the nose – red fruit, earth, leather, iron. In the mouth – cherry, walnut, espresso, tarragon, oil cured olive, fine tannins
2008 Home Place
Buy13.5% alc. by vol.
115 cases produced
Scott’s Tasting Impressions
Crème de cassis, licorice, cigar box, chewy tannins.
This description represents what we’ve always experienced when tasting ’08 Home Place. Tasting wine is subjective, with wine slowly, and constantly changing in the bottle. Here’s what ’08 Home Place has shown since its bottling in Spring 2010:
March, 2011 | Crème de cassis, roasted meat, cigar box, licorice, chewy tannins
December, 2010 | Crème de cassis, roasted meat, cocoa powder, licorice, chewy tannins
May, 2010 | Ruby red. On the nose – red fruit, cigar box, lavender, savory. In the mouth – crème de cassis, pipe tobacco, cherrywood smoke, Alpine liqueur, firm tannins
2009 Scott’s 2009 Recollections
Spring was fairly seasonable through the end of May, but turned warmer than normal clear through the end of September. Budbreak was a week or so later than expected, but the very warm summer, and especially September, brought the riesling harvest 10 days earlier than 2008’s. It turned cold and relatively wet right at the beginning of October when an early Fall set in for good. New bird netting saved our grapes from the ravenous tweety birds that gave me sleepless nights in 2008, and Samuel, our son and partner, grew about as fast as the weeds. Ah those darned weeds, and not to mention the range fire that nearly took it all.
2009 Leroy’s Finest
Pre-order '10 Leroy's Finestriesling 100% (bone dry)
12.5% alc. by vol.
50 cases produced
Scott’s Tasting Impressions
Mouth-watering acidity, lime peel, menthol, and stuffed green olive.
2009 Gampo
Still in the barrel.
2009 Home Place
Still in the barrel.
2009 Longchamp
Still in the barrel.