Cameron Winery -- sustainably farmed, non-irrigated, Oregon pinot noir and chardonnay

In 1895 an amazing collection of Pinot noir clones arrived in California in the hands of vigneron Paul Masson.  He planted the Cresta Blanca vineyard near Saratoga and proceeded to produce some of the finest wines ever made in the New World.  By a series of circumstances, this Burgundian “Massale” (mixture of clones) was transferred via cuttings up above the original vineyard by one Martin Ray in 1945 and would become the fabled Mt. Eden Vineyard.  In 1984 Jeffrey Patterson generously allowed me to collect cuttings throughout the massale for my emerging vineyard in Oregon.

While most vintages require the grapes from this block go into the Clos Electrique, occasionally we have a high enough overall yield to take a portion of the Massale for a separate wine.  2017 was such a vintage and the resulting wine is exceptional.  Less than 300 bottles were produced so it is difficult to obtain.  We have tried to make it available in small quantities to our out of state markets as well as to most of our retail outlets around Oregon.  But since quantities are so tiny, even our most active accounts receive bottles and not cases.

The wine is rich and extracted and brimming with complex aromas of cherries, salumi, lavendar, cedar and more.  It is meant to age so do not be overenthusiastic about opening a bottle!