The couple took over from the vineyard’s hard-working owner Richard Alford, who apparently lied about his age to fight in WW2 before moving out here for a change of pace in the 1990s. Together with his wife Patricia Richard – now aged in his 90s – is still active around the property and likes to keep an eye on things for Marcus and Gaironn, which we love.
Marcus likes to make wine from old vine fruit grown using organic farming methods and adopts traditional winemaking techniques to produce some seriously elegant and structured chardonnay and pinot noir. The winery produces around 4000 cases of wine annually, sourcing fruit from the estate and from a range of other dry-grown, family-owned vineyards around the Willamette Valley.
Since taking the reins from the Alfords nearly two decades ago, Marcus and Gaironn consider themselves custodians of the vineyard. Of his wines, Marcus says: “We don’t want to obscure real magic with fantasy,” and thanks to the climate and long growing season he’s producing wonderfully contemplative wines that invite you to take your time, sit and ponder.
