Evan Martin (Owner/Winemaker at Martin Woods), Natasia Lynn And Frank Zaun (Terroir Selections) |
Martin Woods' goal, according to Evan, is the production of single-vineyard wines with a sense of place, "textural elegance," "expressive aromas," and with long aging potential. High quality fruit is a key part of any winemaker's success and, if the winery does not grow its own, the winemaker has to be diligent to ensure reliable sources with verifiable track records and vineyard management practices that align with his/her philosophy.
Fruit for the Martin Woods wines are purchased from the Willamette Valley and Walla Walla Valley vineyards identified in the two charts below and are discussed further in the text following.
- The Willakis Vineyard, sole source of the fruit for the Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay, is owned by Erath Winery, itself a major producer of Oregon wines. The 298-acre hillside estate has 19 acres devoted to Chardonnay vines and 100 acres devoted to Pinot Noir. Willakia is 100% sustainably farmed and is certified by the LIVE and Salmon Safe programs.
- Yamhill Valley Vineyards, another Chardonnay source, was originally planted (34 acres) to Pinot Noir in 1983. The area under vines has since expanded to 150 acres and Chardonnay vines.
- Havlin Vineyard is a source of both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. This vineyard was first planted (10 acres) in 2008 with the Pinot Noir clones Pommard, 115, and 777. The vineyard has since expanded to 40 acres.
- Hyland Vineyards, located in the foothills of the Coast Range, is one of Oregon's oldest and most storied vineyards. First planted in 1971, it sits on 200 acres -- 180 under vine. "For decades its fruit has produced many award-winning wines from benchmark producers under their own labels."
- Seven Hills Vineyard and McClellan Estate in Walla Walla Valley are the sources for the Cabernet Franc grapes. Seven Hills was first planted in 1984 (one of the first commercial vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA), was expanded to 20 acres in 1989, and further expanded to 200 acres in 1997. Vineyard management practices include vertically trained canopies and controlled cluster spacing. The fruit from this vineyard is currently sold to 25 producers.
The fruit from these organically farmed vineyards are purchased under long-term contracts. It appears as though the fruit sources for the Martin Woods wines have the appropriate pedigree.
©Wine -- Mise en abyme
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