Open: Year-round
Coleman Vineyard is located in the Coast Range foothills of Yamhill County in the Willamette Valley, was initially planted in 1991. The vineyard consists of 13.5 acres of Pinot Noir, clones Pommard, Dijon 114, and Dijon 115, along with 9 acres of Pinot Gris. The site is 300-500 feet elevation with silty clay loams on a fractured volcanic basalt base. Coleman Vineyard was selected by the US Geology Service for a detailed soil study in 2006. This year-long test provided significant information about the vineyard site regarding soil typing, water holding capacity and uptake, and nutrient and mineral exchanges.
The vineyard is close to the Van Duzer corridor, an opening through the Coast Range mountains to the Oregon coast, providing hot summer days with afternoon winds cooling the evening temperatures significantly. We believe this temperature variation, along with the volcanic soils, contribute to the phenolic characteristics and brightness of the wine, providing a structure for aging and signature dark cherry and spice flavors with intense color. Because of these unique influences, the coastal foothills of McMinnville has been approved for AVA status, and the area is known as the McMinnville AVA. The area is 40 million years old, formed from oceanic volcanic uprisings followed by deposits of lava from the Cascade Mountain volcanic eruptions known as 'basalt tufts'.