Lenné Estate

Being attached to land

About sixteen or seventeen years ago, some friends and I attended a summer concert at Robert Mondavi Winery. It was quite a setting, smack in the middle of the Napa Valley. Towards the end of the concert we wondered back to the bathrooms at the rear entrance to the winery. As we were heading back in we could see Robert Mondavi walking through a row looking at his grapes. At the time we all youthfully speculated that he was probably thinking he didn't have much time on the planet to enjoy everything he had built.

Glad to say that at 93 he is still here, we should all be so lucky. But, I have often thought about that vision of Robert Mondavi in the vineyard since I started work on Lenné. I think our perception of him was wrong. I think he was just looking at his vineyard as you might look at anything else you loved. He was looking at his life, the work, the moments, good and bad that made his tie to this piece of ground, inexorable. I would have said inexorable except by death if it were not for the fact that the winery was eventually sold to Constellation Brands in 2004.Constellation Brands

It must be sad to be separated from something you love so much. As Lenné evolves, I understand that look that Robert Mondavi had on his face so many years ago. It is more than pride, ego, more like watching a child grow to become someone special and remembering the painful, wonderful moments along the way.

Not having children, I can only use my imagination, but this piece of ground had that effect on me. It is a project built from love and a little blood, sweat and tears. And yes, I do feel a little pride as well when I taste the wine. So I understand how a piece of soil can end up defining your life and that same look on Robert Mondavi's face, can be seen on mine all these years later. Thankfully, I don't think Constellation Brands will be looking at us anytime soon. I don't want to build an empire, just make a very small amount of some of the world's best wine.

why vineyards are murder on blogs

A vineyard has a strange way of grabbing hold of you at the end of March and not letting you come up for air until the beginning of August. When you add a new tasting room on top of it, things can get pretty interesting.  It seemed like I blinked and and the blog went missing for several months.

In March, we had bud break and the game was on. I detailed some of my exploits with the tractor in an earlier blog. When bud break happens, spraying for powdery mildew begins. Fortunately, it has never been a problem in our vineyard except for two rows this year which I had a difficult time spraying until May because of construction debris.  But there is more than spraying that occurs in a vineyard and plenty of time to take it all in on the seat of a tractor. The spring growth has to be disked, mowed or cultivated or it will consume your vineyard. Weeds have a way of taking things over in Oregon, just look at any old abandoned barn .....if you can still see it through the blackberry brambles.

But the gods smiled on us so far this year. Although I follow the weather religiously, I actually do a little praying in June and in the fall. In 2004 and 2005 we had a disastrous fruit set. The warm sites , and Lenné is definitely a warm site, bloomed early and then it rained. The rain knocks the flowers off and they never have a chance to pollinate and form fruit. It just so happened that 2004 and 2005 were our first years of fruit. In 2004 I had hoped we would get 10 tons off of 10 acres, we got 5. In 2005, I was hoping for 16 tons off of 10 acres, we got 5.

Thankfully in 2006 we anticipate our normal tonnage of close to 2 tons per acre, or more importantly about two pounds per plant. Because vineyards are planted with different densitys, it is more pertinent to talk about pounds per plant versus tons per acre. At Lenné our vineyard is planted densly with nearly 2100 vines per acre. Many of the vineyards in Yamhill are closer to 1500 vines per acre and some of the older ones at about 1000 vines per acre. You can see that 2 tons per acre in a less dense vineyard, means more fruit per plant.

It is true that low yields produce great wine, but consistent yields like those in 2004 and 2005 that would just make for an early grave or a divorce for yours truly. The fact is the farming costs in 2005 were almost as high as the revenue will be from the finished wine. You might ask why we do it, but you would have to experience the wine to know why. The first wine from our estate vineyard will be available shortly. Unfortunately, the quantities are so small, most of it will be sold directly at the tasting room. If you want to experience the wine, you will have to come or call. The wine will be called LeNez(the nose in French pronounced..Le Nay, just like Lenné). There will be more information about the wine here and on the web site as soon as it is available.

In a normal year, if we weren't building a tasting room, I would get a chance to breath a little now. But plenty remains to get done if we are going to open this amazing place for you to see. But I promise I won't be a stranger, I don't want to keep this beautiful place to myself.