Communique tells the story of The Willamette Valley from bud break to bottle. Different years bring different growing conditions which demand different farming techniques. The variances may lend themselves perfectly to one AVA or another in any given year. The driving goal behind Communique is to determine which vineyards are likely produce the highest quality grapes in each particular year and then try to source those grapes for production. This allows Communique to be flexible from vintage to vintage which I feel leads to the highest quality wines. Although many of the vineyards I use are highly prized and sought after I have formed wonderful connections with the growers thus allowing Communique to rise to the top of their list of winemaker/grape buyers looking to use their wares.
The question of what I look for from a vineyard is one without a definitive answer. The best way to address this question is to say that I keep with the philosophy of Communique and look for fruit that I feel will really serve to communicate the nuances of the particular vintage. In a warm dry year I may look for something completely different than I would in a cool rainy year. The one constant in my search is that whatever the flavor profile I am searching for, the grapes must be of the highest quality, farmed with purpose, from vineyards practicing aggressive fruit thinning (thus providing a low yield), and of course clean of disease.
Communique tells the story of The Willamette Valley from bud break to bottle. Different years bring different growing conditions which demand different farming techniques. The variances may lend themselves perfectly to one AVA or another in any given year. The driving goal behind Communique is to determine which vineyards are likely produce the highest quality grapes in each particular year and then try to source those grapes for production. This allows Communique to be flexible from vintage to vintage which I feel leads to the highest quality wines. Although many of the vineyards I use are highly prized and sought after I have formed wonderful connections with the growers thus allowing Communique to rise to the top of their list of winemaker/grape buyers looking to use their wares.
The question of what I look for from a vineyard is one without a definitive answer. The best way to address this question is to say that I keep with the philosophy of Communique and look for fruit that I feel will really serve to communicate the nuances of the particular vintage. In a warm dry year I may look for something completely different than I would in a cool rainy year. The one constant in my search is that whatever the flavor profile I am searching for, the grapes must be of the highest quality, farmed with purpose, from vineyards practicing aggressive fruit thinning (thus providing a low yield), and of course clean of disease.
