It was a herd of 40 Roosevelt elk that gave Pat and Joe Campbell’s winery and vineyard a name. In the winter of 1974, after the Campbells (party of three, with daughter Eartha in tow) had set up camp (literally, in a trailer) on an abandoned and overgrown homestead in the foothills of Oregon’s Coast Range Mountains, the family witnessed the herd mutually call the bowl-shaped property home. Elk Cove Vineyards was born then, when Oregon wineries weren’t yet able to count to the double digits.
Now, 40 years later, Elk Cove is still a family-run operation, with son Adam taking the helm as head winemaker in 1999—a task that includes six vineyards over 350 planted acres. The Campbells are proud to announce that this more than 10 times the total acreage of Oregon vineyards when they first planted in the area. One of their vineyard sites is Five Mountain, planted in 1978 by another pioneering Oregon wine family, the Ponzis. Set on a stunning and steep southeast facing slope in the Chehalem Mountains overlooking the five mountains of the Cascade Range (Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams), Five Mountain vineyard rests its vines in loess soil—this includes the original 4.2 acres of Pommard clone Pinot Noir (which now spans 10 acres on the property).
Pulling from an average age of 33-year-old vines, the 2012 Five Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir spends a short 10 months in oak (only 50 percent of which is new French), showcasing pure, uninhibited Oregon Pinot Noir. Fragrant and floral with dried violets and roses, white pepper and scorched earth, the fruit is full with raspberry, black cherry cola and jammed bramble berries. The palate turns a shade darker with concentrated black fruits, bright acid and a tannin structure only achieved by aged vines and wise viticultural practices.
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