We were running an hour late and needed to get from Newberg to McMinnville, Oregon. On this recent greater Willamette Valley excursion, I had booked appointments according to Google Maps, which, on paper, said that Newberg to McMinnville was 25 minutes. However, considering we were headed to the western outskirts of McMinnville and were currently standing at the top of a winding mountain road of the Chehalem Mountains my odds weren’t looking good. My company was determined to help—on a slightly dated AVA map, Scott Shull of Raptor Ridge Winery was my route color-commentator, giving me the play-by-play on turns, potential road names and highways to avoid. His wife and winery business partner, Annie, was jotting down an abbreviated version on a sticky notepad and jokingly rolling her eyes at her husband’s zealously detailed directions.
Founders, partners and spouses, Scott and Annie Shull’s teamwork not only helped us get to our destination in a fashionably late manner, but is also the driving force of their 20-year-old Chehalem Mountains winery. Named for the many families of raptors that share the winery’s 27-acre estate that overlooks the rolling peaks and valleys of the ridge, the winery also named the estate vineyard “Tuscowallame,” the indigenous word for “place where the owls dwell.” Each wine receives the same dedication to the namesake cause, with artwork of feathers from different winged friends on different wines. In collaboration with other well-respected growers throughout Willamette Valley, the Shulls team up to produce wines that have a sense of place and purpose—a portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold supports iSalud!, the non-profit healthcare program for vineyard workers and their families.
As an introduction to their Pinot Noir program, the 2013 Barrel Select Pinot Noir is a colorful, approachable and value-driven wine that is eager to bring in tasters to the multitude of Raptor Ridge’s production. A generous growing season gives way to a ripe Pinot Noir but shows more terroir than the 2012 vintage. The nose poses aromas of red berry fruits, raspberry, açaí and red currant, with baking spices, dried herbs and smokey notes to round out the earthy scents. Liberally juicy on the palate with brisk acid and a long berry finish, this wine is a well-sculpted crowd-pleaser, sure to attract both neophytes and enophiles.
