2019 Brut Sparkling, Layne Vineyard, 750ml, 11.2%

The Layne Vineyard sits at the end of a long driveway, following the Caris Creek draw back into the hills above the Valley.  Like many sites in the Applegate, you would never know that the vineyard existed, and yet, there it was, 35 acres of old vines, some of the very first planted in Southern Oregon. 

            Roger and Barrie Layne moved to the Applegate from California in the early 1970’s.  Barrie hailed from Napa, but her family owned a dairy there, not grapevines.  However, on their first visit to the Applegate, they met Dick Troon who, in 1972, had already planted 10 acres of grapevines.  They decided to follow suit, and planted some of their own the following year, including Southern Oregon’s first Merlot vines.  

            In 2016, eager to make a traditional sparkling wine from the vineyard, we grafted over a portion of the vineyard to Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.  This is the first release of sparkling wine from the vineyard.   

40% Pinot Noir, 38% Pinot Meunier, 22% Chardonnay  

Tasting Notes: Fresh and vibrant, with notes of baking apples, yellow cherry and a silky texture. Bubbles are fine and persistent.