Raptor Ridge Sparkling Rose of Pinot Noir
Harbinger Vineyard, planted to Pinot Noir by Scott & Annie Shull in 1996, rests high in the Chehalem Mountains and expresses a bright, lean style of fruit perfect for sparkling wine. The vines are trained in the single-Guyot method. The pruning style combined with a high vine density of over 2400 plants per acre, leads to high-acid fruit. At around 800’ elevation, the site sees cool nights and breezy days leading to slow ripening.
The fruit is then combined with our nearby Tuscowallame Estate fruit from the highest site in the vineyard, our Block 1, lovingly called the “Bubbles Block,” that is farmed on a
Scott Henry Divided Canopy system and leads to bright acidity and slow ripening. This block is the first harvested of the season while sugars are low and natural acids are high, creating a crisp, single vintage base wine.
In the winery, the juice is direct press and fermented in stainless steel at cold temperatures. After the base white wine is created, some saignée or juice from 24-hour old red ferments is added to the base wine for color. After primary fermentation is complete, the wine is then bottled several months later and rests en tirage for four years creating naturally dissolved carbonation and generous complexity.
After rigorous trials, a dosage was selected that combines our 2018 Gran Moraine Vineyard
Chardonnay as a vehicle for 3g/L light Belgian Candi sugar to complete the final assemblage.