Oracle Vineyard

In the autumn of 2000, Amy and David purchased the property, believing it was unplanted land, albeit a proven plot for excellent grapes, as seven acres had been planted in 1977 by Frank Gorretta. For three years in the ‘90s, Westrey made wine from the grapes from those seven acres with outstanding results. When Frank sold the farm in 1997, the new owner cut the vines down to make room for his horses. In the spring of 2001, as Amy and David prepared the soil for planting, they noticed rows of bushes emerging where the old plantings had been. The root structures of the vines had survived, and after several vintages of careful pruning and training, the original vineyard is back in production. Amy and David have planted an additional 15 acres of Pinot Noir and a bit of Pinot Gris, bringing the total planted acreage to 22. The 50 acre parcel of land is primarily Jory soil, with a narrow strip of Nekia running through the middle. The vineyard faces due south and sits at an average of 650 feet. The new plantings are closely spaced, single-cane pruned vines, and produce wines of intense depth and opulence. The original planting benefits from their massive 40-year-old root structure and yields grapes of truly exceptional balance and length.

CARLTON HILL VINEYARD

The Carlton Hill Vineyard was established in 1999/2000. An even mix of 777 and 115 Dijon clones, was planted on 3309 root stock. The soils on this site are a combination of Peavine and Willakenzie and are the remnants of an ancient ocean bed. In 2008, the Vineyard grew to eleven acres in size, with the addition of the “tried and true” Pommard and Wadenswil clones.

Like the great sites in Burgundy, the Carlton Hill Vineyard faces east, giving the vines full morning and afternoon sun, but shading in the early evening to provide the desired cooling of nightfall. From these gently ripened grapes come elegant, balanced wines with vibrant berry flavors. Carlton Hill has been LIVE certified and sustainably farmed since 2004. The approach is to reduce chemical inputs, organic or otherwise, and farm in the smartest way possible. In the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, Carlton Hill is one of the finest vineyards in Oregon.

Justice Vineyard

Bordering Bethel Heights Vineyard, Justice sits in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. It is co-owned and farmed by Bethel Heights partners Ted Casteel, Pat Dudley, Mimi Casteel and Barbara Dudley. Planted in 1999 to a variety of Dijon clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the vineyard is coming of age, showing mature qualities in the fruit and wines. The quality of the fruit also reflects Ted Casteel’s 30+ years of viticultural experience. The vines are tightly-spaced and carefully pruned for balance and vine health. Shoots are individually positioned to maximize the function of the canopy. Fruit is carefully green-harvested to ensure complex, intensely-flavored wines. Justice Vineyard is LIVE certified (Ted Casteel spearheaded the development of the LIVE program in Oregon). Ted and Pat’s daughter, Mimi Casteel, has in recent years taken on much of the vineyard’s management.