Springbok

The Yamhill-Carlton jam thrill!

Springbok

The Yamhill-Carlton jam thrill!

Our Sophomore release, Springbok captures the very best of the Yamhill-Carlton sub-AVA. Our vintage is a rich and versatile wine that hails primarily from the esteemed Hirschy Vineyard and a vineyard adjacent in the Yamhill-Carlton district. Jen captured this Spieden Island photo during our Orcas Island whale-watching trip. In the 1960s, it was a hunting reserve for exotic animals like lions and giraffes brought in by taxidermist brothers. As the local lore goes, a brave Springbok swam to Orcas Island, exposing the business on the island. You can still see some animals that have learned to adapt to the chilly island.

Pinot Noir

Yamhill-Carlton, near Hirschy Vineyard

This 2023 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir opens with fragrant notes of ripe cherry, wild raspberry, savory hoisin, and umami, interwoven with hints of forest floor and subtle spice. On the palate, silky tannins frame layers of juicy red fruit and earthy undertones, leading to a long, elegant finish. Bright acidity and a touch of minerality highlight the unique terroir of the region, making this a beautifully balanced and expressive wine.

Roasted duck, beef Bourguignon, pork tenderloin, lamb chops, seared scallops

96 points Decanter

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What is a Springbok?

Our adventures in and around the Pacific Northwest led us to the beautiful San Juan Islands, located off the Seattle coast near Bellingham. We were on Orcas Island for the first week of summer break. It’s one of our very favorite places in all of the Pacific Northwest. On this trip, we had a few friends also there by coincidence, great weather, and a lot of free ranging kids. Jen’s mom was with us, so Jen and I got to escape on a solo whale-watching tour, which is basically Jen’s favorite thing ever.

On this trip, many photos were taken. We encountered two pods of Orca whales splashing, playing, and jumping out of the water. Jen took some amazing photos of them, one of which hangs in our living room. The Springbok photo was also taken on this tour.

The photo is of Spieden Island, which is privately owned (apparently by James Jannard of Oakley, Inc.) and about 2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide. In the 1960s, it was a hunting reserve for exotic animals like lions and giraffes brought in by taxidermist brothers. As the local lore goes, a brave Springbok swam to Orcas Island, exposing what was happening there. You can still see some animals that have learned to adapt to the chilly island. The clouds were amazing that day, and Jen snapped the photo of the Springbok label as we passed by.

Springbok was our second wine, produced exclusively from the Yamhill-Cartlon sub-ava. It’s one of the many places I love in the Willamette Valley. The little town of Cartlon (population 2000) is small and quaint but packed with a handful of fantastic restaurants and a delicious bakery. I make our wines just down the road at Dominio IV, which crafts incredible wines in its own right. If I were ever a millionaire, maybe I would build or acquire my own winery, but as they say in the wine business, if you want to make a million dollars, start with ten!

I love the wines from this area so much because they offer another take on Pinot Noir that is totally unique to Oregon. The wines are often seen as a more robust and structured expression of Oregon Pinot Noir, with a darker fruit profile and savory complexity that distinguishes them from the more red-fruit-focused and elegant styles of regions like Dundee Hills.