Every year I try to do something new that challenges the way I think about wines in my cellar. I’ve always set out to make wines that could be defined by the word “pretty” and working with Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Chardonnay, that feels like second nature. So in 2021 I decided to try to take a varietal that felt a bit heavier footed and see if I could give it some of the house trademark levity.

“Piume” is Italian for the word, “feather.” It felt appropriate to build the identity of this wine around that characteristic. This is a blend of 60% Merlot sourced from the Rocks District AVA along the Columbia River Gorge and 40% Pinot Noir from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. About half of this blend was a carbonic maceration co-ferment, a process that amplifies fruit characteristics and softens some edges. The remainder was all destemmed to limit tannins. All native ferments. Aged for ten months in neutral French oak barrels.

The label art is massive in real life. It is a collaboration with the person I attribute much of my creativity to as she has always fanned the flames of my ideas over the years. None other than my mom, Paola. We sat over the course of a week during the holidays clipping each and every piece of the feathers and it feels particularly special to share that process with her. It's only fitting to release it on her birthday.