It was a slow day of cleaning at the vineyard today. It is so thrilling to be in a vineyard just as the first light is starting to peak over the rolling foothills that surround the valley. The colors are
so dramatic. The best lighting in a vineyard is in the early morning and later in the day toward sunset. One of the great joys of intentionally spending so much time in one vineyard is the joy of seeing it glow in all kinds of different light. The clouds pop up suddenly and just glow in the blue sky. The grape clusters grab the horizontal rays and seem to be illuminated from the inside. The photo above was taken first thing this morning the heart shaped rock that gives Coeur de Terre it's name. To the right is a beautiful Viognier cluster in the beautiful morning lighting with the eastern light flooding the vineyard that sits just beneath the rock that gives Coeur de Terre it's name.When I wasn't out taking photos in the morning and evening I was in the cellar cleaning up. I have a strange tick about work areas. I like them to be clean. It's the one place where I like things to be organized and in their place. So, I took apart the tool boxes and cleaned them up. I helped to organize the back of the barrel room and got all of the remaining wine and materials up and on shelves. Then I took apart the junk closet!
Since there's not much to learn about wine in cleaning, (although you do a lot of cleaning to make wine) I thought I'd talk about the commute to Coeur de Terre from McMinnville. It is one of my favorite drives through back country farmsteads with perennially green fields and half dome oak trees.
Above is a picture of the misty Muddy Valley taken on my drive this morning. As you leave McMinnville on highway 18 you are in the midst of the spacious Willamette Valley. As you continue to the coast, however, you get closer and closer to the coast range foothills. In my case I leave highway 18 fairly quickly and weave my way out Masonville Road (just follow the blue signs to Coeur de Terre.) After about a mile of driving you are actually encountering the foothills of the Coast Range. At about McCabe Chapel the road curves around a big curve and suddenly you are in a much more narrow valley with foothills on both sides. This is the Muddy Valley. As the road begins to hug the western edge of valley floor it takes another dramatic turn to the right. You want to follow this road straight instead of turning with the pavement to the left. It brings you through another tight set of hills which are very close together and then quickly open to yet another valley. This is the valley in which Coeur de Terre is located.
A one mile drive down this gravel road will deliver you to your destination. The iron gate at the foot of the estate welcomes you. The small house at to the right is the "temporary" housing for the owners of the vineyard. Abby's Block will follow you on the left hand side as you climb the hill. There is an old, metal out building on the right followed by the estate's root vines (they graft all of their own vines at Coeur de Terre including growing their own root stock)
As you climb the steep drive that heart shaped rock will be on your left followed by the irrigation pond. Just another small climb and you are at their beautiful arts and craft inspired tasting room. I'll be down in the cellar cleaning up no doubt
The photo above was taken in the evening. Every lighting today seemed to be more dramatic than the last. It was a good day for photography. As I'm getting ready to leave for the day Lisa drives up and asks me if I'd like to take home the wine that was left over from the tastings this weekend. It is such a silly question. I'm drinking an '09 Abby's Block Pinot Noir right now and it is luscious. The fruit is a bit darker than the rest of the estate with just a bit more mineral and spice notes. This wine is going to age like gangbusters.
As I'm preparing to leave Scott drives by on the ATV with Talula (she has a blocked named after
her too, I just didn't get to taste the wine from it tonight.) I get the feeling that this young woman is beginning her training to be the future vineyard manager of Coeur de Terre. Consider this her early training in vineyard management. She's off to see how the grapes are coming along, to scare up a few birds and just generally enjoy the vineyard. There are so many beautiful sights to take it. I wonder if you become accustomed to them over time and kind of take them for granted. I just can't imagine.