“Drinking Ablaze is like having a fresh meaningful conversation with a dear friend poolside on an 88-degree day. It’s fun, complex, and enlightens the day at hand!”- Winemaker Chad Alexander

In every vintage, to truly capture the essence of the variety, we let the grapes do the work as we facilitate optimal fermentation conditions. All clusters and grapes were handpicked and double-sorted by hand on our vibrating sorting tables.

Minimal intervention in the winery, ensuring the reflect varietal purity. Spending four months in third-use oak, this Chenin Blanc 80% and 20% Viognier is fresh, well-structured, and displays fleshy deliciousness with each sip. The palate has notes of tropical fruits, citrus, and allspice, with a touch of mineral on the finish. Drink this with a chargrilled fish dish to bring out those pineapple flavors.

“Good balance is important in the Rogue Valley, as a hot climate Chardonnay can lose its acidity and hence its shape. This walks the line appropriately between ripeness and firmness, with citrus rind phenolics under fruit flavors of fresh melon and white peach. It spent 13 months in 38% new oak after going through full malolactic fermentation, adding light touches of butter and toast. Drink this over the next two or three years to maintain its freshness.” - Paul Gregutt of Wine Enthusiast (90 pt)

The Bell Ranch and Paloma Creek Vineyards are situated between Carmel Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands. Farmed by Garrett Boekenoogen, the Viognier comes from Bell Ranch while the Roussane and Marsanne come from the Paloma Creek Vineyard. There is a warmer climate than the Salinas Valley and the way poorer soils make for some intense fruit flavors. These grapes are all pressed into a tank to settle overnight and then racked into neutral barrels to ferment. 

The River Skimmer is a blend of 60% Viognier, 20% Roussanne, and 20% Marsanne with only 120 cases produced. The wine is round, with pretty floral stone fruit, especially peach, on the nose. It has such a definite tropical feel. Enjoy this wine on its own, with seafood, or with a creative salad.  

“The mission of Carhill Cellars is to raise money for cancer research and we are doing so by crafting high-quality wines from Oregon and dedicating 100% of the profits to this mission.” - Kevin Simback of Carhill Cellars

The 2019 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley was sourced from the estate of Yamhill Valley Vineyards, the oldest winery in the McMinnville AVA. The block used for the Carhill Pinot Gris comes from the upper slopes of a 4-acre lot that was planted in 1985 and receives a good amount of sunlight given its high elevation and south-facing position, but also a cool wind that allows the grapes to retain high levels of natural acidity. 

The Pinot Gris was hand-harvested and directly pressed into a large stainless steel tank. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation (MLF) which creates a crisp, dry wine with nicely floral aromatics.

We co-fermented the Grenache and Syrah to create a more symbiotic wine. The Mourvedre however fermented on it's own since it was one of the last grapes to come in. The Syrah was completely whole-cluster fermented, while the Grenache and Mourvedre were fully de-stemmed.

The Grenache in this wine is giving off notes of orange marmalade, bright raspberry, and white pepper spice. The Mourvedre brings anice lift of lavender and blue fruits. All while the Syrah brings density and weight to the wine with notes of baking spices and sarsaparilla. The palate is driven by spice and accentuated by bright red fruit. With time in the glass the wine softens with coating tannins that are backed by pleasant dark fruits such as blackberry.

Winemaker Chad Alexander’s vision had one very singular focus- creating the highest possible quality Bordeaux varietal wines. His extreme focus on every detail from the proper soil, to his proprietary planting structures that creates “total vine balance” his exacting, almost extreme, winemaking philosophy allows for the grapes to arrive at the winery in perfect condition.

The 2021 vintage of “Pitch Black” dials back into the usual dark red fruits, with heavy notes of spice, currant, leather, and earth coming through. Ripe cherry and plum skin match with a chalky middle. Tart cranberry aligns with the high-toned acidity and undercurrents of balsamic, heather, and black cherry add depth.. The chewy tannins are sure to make this a treat in years to come. 

The Ghost Writer recognizes that many accomplishments have been achieved in the shadows of others. Juicy and fruit-forward, with modest strawberry and cherry flavors accented by savory herbs. Drink now through 2027.

This meaty Pinot is a lovely evening sipper with a compliment of dark chocolate. Deep ruby color with very patient long thick legs. The nose consists of dark fruit, baking spice, and buttered popcorn. Opening of red fruit and black fruit favoring raspberry and black cherry with maple syrup on waffles and slate. Medium-bodied and medium acidity with a creamy tannin structure that emerges quickly and fades slowly. Pair with beef or other gamey dishes.