Happy fall! September 23rd marked the autumnal equinox and harvest time in the vineyards is just beginning. The lambs born in March have helped us at the Compton Family farm and vineyard by “pruning” (eating) the lower leaves shading the grapes on the vines. We would do this by hand without their help. Fortunately they are still small enough to walk beneath the rows without disturbing the vines. The lambs love eating the leaves but don’t care for the grapes – and they fertilize naturally as they munch. Our maremma puppies are growing up fast and the two we kept with us are learning to protect the flock and our farm, just like their parents.
How do we know when to harvest our grapes? Skin color is a nice visual marker to start testing fruit in the vineyard. To determine ripeness we assess the skins, taste, seed color, pH, acids, and sugar levels (Brix). The Brix scale is a measurement of sugar in grapes used to determine the potential alcohol level when made into wine. In the vineyard we use a device called a refractometer that uses a prism to measure the amount of dissolved sugar in the liquid of a crushed grape. During fermentation the yeast will metabolize the sugar and produce alcohol. Science is cool!
We harvest some grapes a little earlier for two types of wines. Chardonnay was harvested early for sparkling wine and Pinot Noir was harvested early for Rosé. The reason is sugar levels. We want lower sugar in the grapes to maintain nice acidity and lower alcohol levels for these styles of wine. We will harvest more fruit when the Brix is higher to make our acclaimed Pinot Noirs, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Concrete Chardonnay and more.
Your fall Compton Wine Club release includes wines that pair well with seasonal foods and holiday meals. We are proud to have a place at your table. Thank you for being a part of our Wine Club family and making it possible to continue building our dream of growing grapes and food using regenerative practices to restore our ecosystem and nourish our bodies and souls.
Compton staff Matt Compton (winemaker & grower), Tabitha Compton, Angela, Amoris, & Melissa
OCTOBER 2022
COMPTON SHIPPING CLUB
THE WINES
Garden Series
Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2021
Rosé is the fastest-growing wine category in America. We intentionally harvest Pinot Noir earlier to make our Rosé. Half of the fruit is whole cluster pressed and the other half is soaked on the skins overnight. Fermented in stainless steel. This vintage offers hints of fresh strawberries, depicted in the charming wildflower bouquet on the label.
Garden Series
Pinot Gris, Newton Creek Vineyard, 2021
Newton Creek Vineyard is the closest to our Winery in Philomath and we saved this special single-origin Pinot Gris for our Wine Club members. Whole-cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel with a long cool fermentation to retain delectable fruit aromas and flavors. Pinot Gris as it should be!
Garden Series
Orange Gewürztraminer, 2021
NEW RELEASE
A unique and refreshing orange wine! Skin-contact fermentation of Old Vine Gewurztraminer grapes from Mary’s Peak Vineyard aged in neutral oak brings a lovely peachy color and amazing perfumed fruit bouquet while staying light and bone-dry on the palate.
Garden Series
Pinot Noir, OSU Woodhall Vineyard, 2019
Oregon State University has been conducting research projects at Woodhall III Vineyard in Alpine, Oregon, for over 30 years. Matt Compton got his start in viticulture here and has continued the relationship, making wines expressing the unique terroir of the site.
Old Vine Series
Llewellyn Cuvee Pinot Noir, 2014
Library Wine
91 Rating, Wine Enthusiast
The 2014 vintage in Oregon may be remembered as the vintage of a lifetime. From bud break through harvest, growers and winemakers throughout the state experienced an almost ideal growing season that delivered a record amount of exceptional, balanced fruit. We saved a few cases in our Library for our club members!
Old Vine Series
Llewellyn Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2016
92 Rating, PinotFile
Staff favorite in the Compton Tasting Room! Old Vine dry-farmed Pommard, Wädenswil and 115 Pinot Noir clones from three Vineyards off of Llewellyn Road in the coastal foothills of Oregon. Marine sedimentary soils produce Pinot Noir with darker red berry and blue/black fruit with darker floral, earth tones and bigger tannins. Small lot fermentation and hand punch-downs, 18 months in French Oak before blending and bottling.
Old Vine Series
Concrete Egg Chardonnay, 2018
Old Vine 108 clone Chardonnay fermented in our Concrete Egg. The concrete allows for a long, cool, slow fermentation while the egg shape creates natural sytrifical circulation of the wine on the lees – creating a creamy mouthfeel without any oak. Classic, honest, Oregon-style Chardonnay.
Garden Series
3 Pigs Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir was made especially for our wine club members to reflect the Compton family farm-to-table philosophy. Our KuneKune pigs are part of our regenerative farming plan. They are friendly grazing pigs, short in stature with short snouts. The pigs add to the eco-diversity of the vineyard and farm, and they are just the right height so as to not disturb grape vines as they grow.
Garden Series
Cellar Select Pinot Noir, 2020
Matt Compton’s blend of his favorite Pinot Noir barrels of the vintage. Each vineyard is fermented and aged separately in oak barrels, allowing for many possibilities during the blending process.
Old Vine Series
Alpine Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2016
93 Rating, PinotFile
Old Vine dry-farmed Pommard, Wädenswil, 777 and 667 Pinot Noir clones from south-facing slopes in the Monroe, Oregon area. Soils are Basalt and Red Jory series volcanic soils that typically show redder fruit aromas and flavors and elegant tannins. Small lot fermentation and hand punch-downs, 18 months in French Oak before blending and bottling.
Old Vine Series
Mary’s Peak Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2018
94 Rating PinotFile
92 Rating & Editor’s Choice, Wine Enthusiast
Mary’s Peak Vineyard was planted between 1977 and 1980 to the Wädenswil clone of Pinot Noir. Situated on East-facing slopes of alluvial, sedimentary loam soil, and in the rain shadow of Marys Peak, the highest mountain in the Oregon Coast range, this dry-farmed vineyard consistently grows top quality Pinot Noir.
Old Vine Series
Waldport, 2018
Named for the Oregon Coast town of Waldport. Port-style Merlot dessert wine is fortified with Brandy made from our grapes by our friends at Spiritopia Distilling. Delicious paired with dark chocolate, orange and spiced desserts – or just sipped on its own.
FALL 2022 RECIPES
Hiatt Farm Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey Orange Vinaigrette
A colorful autumn salad that pairs well with Compton Pinot Noir and Rosé of Pinot Noir.
Suggested wine pairings
Compton Garden Series Rosé of Pinot Noir
Compton Garden Series Pinot Noir
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium sized beets (a mix of golden and red is nice)
- 1 orange
- 6 oz goat cheese crumbled
- .5 medium sized red onion
- .25 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
- .25 cup Chopped Roasted Walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Prepare beets, remove greens, wash and scrub or peel skin off of beets. Cut into quarters and toss with olive oil. Keep colors separate until beets have cooled to avoid colors bleeding. Roast on a lined baking sheet for about 3 minutes until fork tender. Let cool.
- Thinly slice half a red onion, crumble goat cheese and set aside.
- Make dressing: zest and juice orange, combine with honey, vinegar, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine cooled roasted beets, red onion, goat cheese and gently toss with salad dressing. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving. Can be served over greens with additional dressing.
Hiatt Farm Rough Puff Pastry
A much simpler take on a classic laminated Puff pastry. This is a tried and true fool-proof recipe. Add your choice of filling and pair with your favorite Compton wine.
Ingredients
- 1.25 cup cold unsalted butter
- .5 cup ice-cold water
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 cup AP Flour
Instructions
- In a food processor combine flour salt and half of diced butter. Pulse until butter is broken into pea sized pieces. Add remaining butter a couple pieces at a time, pulsing in between until just combined.
- Begin adding water, pulse as incorporating until dough comes together (no more than 5-6 pulses in processor)
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 12×18 rectangle. Fold dough in thirds (letter fold) wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Bring dough back out onto a floured surface and roll out to a 12×18 rectangle again, fold back into thirds. Wrap dough up again and chill for at least 1-1.5 hours.
- Once you have chilled your dough and prepared your filling, roll the dough out to about an eighth-inch thickness and cut with a sharp knife into desired sizes.
- Fill with your choice of ingredients and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes.