Block 1, lovingly called the "Bubbles Block", is a 1-acre parcel planted in 2001 on our Estate Vineyard resting at 450' elevation facing ENE on the Chehalem Mountains from own cuttings from our estate. This block is planted to two clones: Dijon clone 115 comprising the highest elevation rows and the Swiss clone Wadenswil making up the second half. The vines grow on a Scott Henry Divided Canopy system. This trellising system creates 4 fruiting zones per plant and leads to bright acidity and slow ripening. This block is the first harvested of the season while sugars are low and natural acids are high, creating a crisp, single-vintage base wine. Harvest occurs early in the morning before fruit is warmed by the sun. Although plumbed for irrigation, these vines have been dry farmed since 2015.
In the winery, whole clusters are gently pressed, keeping first juice pressings (heads) and final hard press wine (tails) separate from the core of the juice run. This helps limit phenolic expression as well as any color from skins during pressing. This base wine underwent primary fermentation in a mixture of stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels at cold temperatures to limit malolactic fermentation. After primary fermentation, the wine is then bottled several months later and rests en tirage for four years creating naturally dissolved carbonation and generous complexity. After rigorous trials, a dosage of 2 g/L delivered in a 2019 Gran Moraine Chardonnay vehicle was decided. | Raptor Ridge