
The Whale is a wine of epic proportions. The vintage's best blend from the cellar exhibits strength, weight, balance, and complexity. Crafted and aged with the utmost care, The Whale is a substantial wine that unfolds to share a memorable tale.
The 2017 vintage began cold and rainy during flowering in our estate blocks. This rain reduced the size and number of clusters at fruit set. The reliably dry summer months finished with heat extremes in August that shut the vines down once temperatures rose above 90 degrees and caused some grape dehydration. Harvest however began under ideal conditions in late September with grapes for Sparkling Rose, White Pinot, and the Pinot gris, followed by receiving Pinot noir for red wine production over the next two weeks. The end of October saw the last fruit of the season at perfect ripeness, the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rouge Valley in Southern Oregon was brought into the winery in prime condition for making exceptional wine. In the cellar as the Pinot noirs emerged from fermentation, bright cherry and floral notes were prevalent from the older blocks and intense blackberry notes from the younger Dijon clones.