Taking over our tasting bar for the weekend are the innovative and thrilling wines of Patton Valley Vineyard, from Oregon’s Willamette Valley! Founded in 1995 by Monte Pitt and David Chen, Patton grows a clonally-diverse selection of Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, and Gamay on their 30-acre vineyard outside of the town of Gaston, OR.
Their wines, made with a “light, but deliberate” hand, are truly a labor of love: Pitt and Chen first met while studying together in Chicago in the 1980s, and it was their mutual love of Pinot Noir that brought them to Oregon to go into business together. Since they planted their first vineyard in 1997, the organization has expanded to include a larger staff, as well as the addition of Derek Einberger as winemaker in 2010.
Their wines range from the traditional (a classic Willamette Pinot Noir) to the experimental (an oloroso-style Pinot Gris!), with everything in between (pet-nat, anyone?) Earnest and expressive, these wines beautifully capture the energy and style of Orergon’s Willamette Valley.
