McClellan Vineyard

The grapes grown in this vineyard display a range of characteristics but mostly of the blue and black fruits particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. All varietals exhibit elegance with an earthy structure, seductive aromas and silky tannins. The wines from this site always are among the more fruit driven wines in the cellar every vintage.

Planted

2003

Varietals

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot

Location

South side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA in Oregon

Elevation

850-870 feet

Soil Type

Ellisforde silt loam: The Ellisforde soil series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in wind blown silt known as “Loess” over fractured basalt that was deposited in the area over 12,000 years ago by the Missoula floods in the last glacial age. Ellisforde soils are typically located on terraces or sideslopes.

Climate

McClellan Estate Vineyard is situated on a terrace, which provides good air drainage and is the key to this vineyard, which is one of the lower elevation sites on the South side of the Walla Walla Valley. In spite of the elevation, this mesoclimate is usually one of the first sites to bloom and the first we harvest on the Southside of the Walla Walla Valley.

Trellis

The vineyard using the Geneva Double Curtain or GDC trellis system which horizontally divides the canopy. The goal of the GDC system is to manage a dense canopy by dividing it in two, allowing more sunlight to reach the fruit renewal zone. With this system, grapevines are trained from the trunk to bilateral cordons and pruned to retain short canes. Shoots are also positioned downward creating a canopy that has the appearance of two “curtains” on each side. Cross arms, usually four feet in width, separate the cordon support wires. This division in the canopy increases general exposure while reducing canopy density.