Adelsheim, one of the pioneering Oregon wineries
Website: www.adelsheim.com
It was back in 1971 that David and Ginny Adelsheim (pronounced Addles-Hyme) joined the very small band of pioneering Oregon winegrowers in the Willamette Valley. They decided to risk their life savings on a property in what is now the Chehalem Mountains AVA, in the north of the Willamette.
I visited back in 2014 here and more recently caught up with David (pictured above) to taste with him in London. Remarkably, at the age of 82, he’s still working the market.
They were just one of 10 families who made wine before 1980 on grapes planted on their property. Together these families are known informally as the 10 founding families, and David has produced a video series in 2020 where he interviews each of them, as a way of celebrating the first 50 years of Adelsheim. https://www.adelsheim.com/first-50/
They moved from Portland with a desire to move to the country and build a house: it wasn’t wine that drew them there. Their fantasy was just to have an art and craft studio (Ginny was a ceramic artist), not plant wine grapes. They were joined in this search for land by a couple, Rita and Paul, and the idea was to build a duplex with them on the right land.
Susan Blosser (of Sokol Blosser) introduced Ginny to Diana Lett, and they became friends. They also met Erath. They initially thought about a small vineyard to make wine for themselves, but then this vision grew and they chose a property big enough to create a commercially significant vineyard.
They built a big house and moved in before they had windows and stairs. They had to find the time and money to finish building the house, so for a while they were living in uncomfortable conditions. They had jobs to do, to pay the bills. And they were working on the wine business together at the same time. In 1974 their land and property partners Rita and Paul got divorced and moved away. This left David and Ginny with a big commitment in terms of the land and a large house.
They kept going with the vineyard, and the winery followed in 1978, which was their debut vintage. This is ancient history for this region. They used their home as a cellar door, too, and then changed it back to living accommodation when the guests were gone.
Now they are a good size for Oregon (50 000 cases), but this is still small by global standards. The wines are really impressive, from the cheaper Willamette blends to the single-vineyard bottlings.
THE WINES
Adelsheim Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Rich and vivid with appealing pear and white peach fruit, with a citrus drive. Lovely purity and density to this wine. 92/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Breaking Ground Chardonnay 2022 Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Another regional blend, but with 75% volcanic soils and better blocks. Lively and complex with spice and minerals as well as lemon and pear fruit. Nicely weighted with good acid and some focus. Real personality here, and even some structure. 94/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Ribbon Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Powerful, lively and expressive with lovely pear and citrus fruit. Good energy with notes of pear and lime, showing nice focus and good acidity. So expressive. 94/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 Willamette Valley, Orgeon
This is a wine they’ve been making since 1979. Floral black cherry and plum nose. The palate shows a core of sweet fruit (sour cherry and strawberry) with nice balance as well as some grip. Stony, expressive and quite lovely. 93/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Breaking Ground Pinot Noir 2022 Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Juicy, bright and vivid with sour cherry, raspberry and spice, as well as some subtle oak. The palate has nice weight and it’s a really expressive Pinot with a sour cherry finish. 93/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Boulder Bluff Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Chehalem Mountain, Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Juicy, fresh and focused with cherry and plum fruit as well as a bit of grip. Nice presente with some raspberry and sour cherry on the finish. 94/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Laurel Leaf Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Laurelwood District, Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Loess soils here. Sweet red cherries and strawberries with some elegance. Sweetly fruited and elegant with a sour cherry twist on the finish. This is really nice and quite different in style. 94/100
Adelsheim Vineyard Ribbon Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley, Orgeon
Lovely aromatics here: sweet raspberry and cherry fruit with real finesse. Fine red cherries and strawberries with a lovely acid line. Such purity here. Ripe but elegant. 95/100
They are not currently represented in the UK
