Chardonnay Helen
- White
- Chardonnay
Draper clone block selection from Four Winds Vineyard will define Helen. Picked early and pressed green to match this salty and minerally material, Helen’s fermentation is long and spontaneous. To emphasize immediacy, we remove from barrel after 11 months and store in tank for the remaining 7 months. Helen is Tyson’s paternal grandmother and was always the epitome of style and flair and this wine is homage to her.
Winemaking Information
Whole cluster pressed, no SO2 until after primary and secondary fermentations. Barrel fermented (100% native) Aged 11 months on the lees in barrel. Finished in steel for 7 months. 33% new oak (puncheon) Full malo
Vineyard Information
Four Winds was planted in 1993 to Wente clone Chardonnay. Elevation is 800 feet and south facing. Most recently in 2017 and 2018 Draper clone was added to the mix via grafting, amounting to an additional 3.05 acres of Chardonnay. Own rooted and dry farmed. Appellation and soil: This vineyard is located in the McMinnville Coast Range. The soils have a volcanic origin, primarily Saum, like Nekia, with a strip of Jory running along the northwest edge of the vineyard. They are made up of a rocky base of weathered basalt that was covered by wind-blown (colluvial) loam, which was derived from eroded basalt higher up in the coast range. As compared to other appellations in the Willamette Valley, these soils are uniquely shallow for winegrowing with low total available moisture. The resulting wines have pronounced leanness and mineral tones.