WINES
In completing my 15th harvest I am amazed to reflect on my journey through wine - as a consumer, then as a winery intern in 2009, winemaker in 2012, and then as a winegrower in 2018. There is no question that I have been the beneficiary of hundreds upon hundreds of people sharing their wine and vine knowledge over the years. I am incredibly grateful to them and to the many friends, family, distributors, wine shops, and restaurants that have supported our wines over the past decade. Thank you.
I now offer the most varied lineup I have ever produced for a season with the release of the 2022 vintage. This is no small feat for what is primarily a one-woman operation. The Bracken Vineyard is truly coming into its own unique expression of place and beauty in the glass. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay surprise me with their elegance and finesse - and the delicate Rosé continues to unveil its secrets with time in the bottle. In addition, I am offering five one-barrel sparkling projects that have all been produced by hand. Learning the handcraft of sparkling wines and potential for our site to produce uniquely expressive sparkling wines worthy of celebrations has been a true and unexpected joy.
WINTER 2024
The vintage of 2022 is a story of a harvest saved by climate change. A warm March resulted in an early bud break, followed by a punishing late spring frost that brought cold damage to our vines. Many vineyards throughout the valley were completely devastated - but thankfully the damage at Bracken was limited to about one-third of our early-budding Chardonnay vines. Cold, wet weather clung to our region for several weeks during the spring of 2022, hampering growth in the vineyard and creating a perfect storm for mildew. Thankfully, as hot weather returned in mid-June it became clear that our crop set was excellent. Fall rains typically return to the Willamette Valley in September - and certainly by mid-October. However, we became the beneficiaries of the hottest and driest harvest season on record. Climate change saved the day and allowed our fruit to be harvested at peak maturity before cold-wet weather returned to Oregon.
VINTAGE 2022
REd
2022 Bracken Pinot NOIR
An old-world style beauty that is showing the true potential of our site. Harvested on October 13th, 2022 and fermented with ambient yeast, we are proud to offer this instant classic. Aged for 11 months 25% new and 75% experienced French oak before bottling under Diam Origine cork. 200 cases produced. 13.3% ABV.
2021 Sojeau Pinot NOIR
This Pinot Noir hails from one of the very best vineyards in Oregon - just next door to us here at Bracken. Sojeau is owned by Denny and T Peseau and it is a very special site here on the Eola Bench that produces very muscular wines. Aged for 11 months in 100% experienced French oak before bottling under Diam Origine cork. 200 cases produced. 12.7% ABV.
White
2022 Bracken Chardonnay
Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills is everything to me. I moved to Oregon to produce this wine. Barrel fermented in experienced French oak with ambient yeast without lees stirring. Aged in barrel for nine months and in steel tank for two months before bottling under Diam Origine cork. 62 cases produced. 12.7% ABV.
ROSé
2022 Rosé of Pinot noir
This wine is mineral bliss and evokes the the saline air that blows in from the Oregon Coast, this beauty is perfect for summer sipping, but better at Thanksgiving and with age. Barrel fermented in experienced French oak barrels with ambient yeast. Aged in barrel 8 months before bottling under Diam Origine cork. 70 cases produced. 11.3% ABV.
Bubbles
2022 Bracken Methode Ancestrale CHARDONNAY
Last year’s Methode Ancestrale started us on a trajectory which is evolving. This year we reinvent the Pinot Noir version with our first harvest of new mixed-clone Chardonnay block. Carbonated by secondary fermentation in bottle. ~25 cases produced. Brut nature. 11.5%. UPDATE: These wines will be disgorged in February. I haven’t yet decided the appropriate closure - stay tuned!
2020 BRacken Blanc De NOIRS
This is the only Perkins Harter wine we made in 2020 due to wildfire smoke blowing into the valley two days after these grapes were picked. This wine is slightly reductive and should age for many years to come (Drink now or age). Basket pressed and barrel fermented with ambient yeast, then was bottle fermented with proprietary yeast in the traditional method. Cork closure. 22 cases produced. Extra Brut. 11.5% ABV.
NV Bracken SOLERA BlanC DE NOIRS
This is the second Perkins Harter traditional method sparkling Pinot Noir, marking the beginning of solera bottlings. Picked from our shallowest, rockiest block of Pinot Noir, this blend of the 2020, 2021 and 2022 vintages was barrel fermented by ambient yeast and secondary by proprietary yeast. This very successful solera experiment only saw six months on tirage. Finished under cork. 28 cases produced. Brut Nature. 11.5%
2022 SPAGHETTI WESTERN WEATHER BALLOON (RED)
This groovy red sparkling wine is perfect chilled with a spread of charcuterie or other light nibbles. Whole Pinot Noir clusters were added to a tank of direct-press Pinot Noir juice for this small-batch fermentation. Secondary fermentation took place in bottle - and each one of these lovely wines was disgorged and capped by the winemaker. 22 cases produced. Brut nature. 12.5%
2022 SPAGHETTI WESTERN TRACTOR BEAM
Get pulled in by this edgy, white sparkling made from the taille cuts of our 2022 Blanc de Noirs. Disgorged and capped by the winemaker. ~25 cases produced. Brut nature. 11.5% ABV.
Hitch hiked a thousand
miles and brought
You wine
― Jack Kerouac, Book of Haikus