Antiquum Farm Alium 2022

Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon

Grape Variety: Pinot Gris

At the heart of this wine is Antiquum Farms, which is owned by Stephen Hagen and his wife Niki. Hagen grew up near this property and when it came time to raise their family he and Niki wanted create an environment free of chemicals and factory food. They established their property as a working farm with pigs, geese, ducks, chickens which are used at different times of the year to graze on the 20 acres of vineyards. Using regenerative farming techniques the animals help the vines to grow without any chemicals or fertilizers, and provide a source of meat for the family too. Roughly 14 acres of Pinot Noir sit at almost 800 feet above sea level, with 6 acres of Pinot Gris found on a block directly below. This wine is taken from the 12 rows of vines on the western edge of the vineyard where they receive the longest amount of sunlight. This allows the grapes to fully ripen but very slowly thanks to the high elevation. After a few years of farming this vineyard Stephen recognized the grapes from this block were unique and created this wine to accentuate that quality.

While I typically do not want to get too technical about the winemaking, this one is cool. The grapes are hand harvested and destemmed, then dropped into open top fermentors where they stay in contact with the skins for 20 to 40 days during fermentation with native yeasts. Once the winemaking team notices a textural change in the wine they rack if off the skins and into 500 liter neutral French oak barrels where it ages for a year. This wine also undergoes malolactic conversion which build even more texture and richness.

Decant this wine for up to a half hour, again, at cellar temperature, and it delivers a crazy nose of underripe strawberry, fresh raspberry, green fig and peach skin. It is also dry and quite intense, with a subtle note of tannin that rises mid palate and holds the fruit in cheque into the finish. Serve this wine with poached salmon with a lemon dill sauce, chicken wings with cajun dry rub or broiled oysters.