“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”- Benjamin Franklin

Greetings from sunny Philomath, where spring came early this year! Daffodils, tulips, plum and cherry blossoms are putting on an exuberant show, and the vineyards are awake and getting their first pruning of the growing season. Matt and our eldest son have been busy pruning the Compton vineyard as the lambs and dogs dance around their feet. Our other vineyard sites were pruned as well. Pruning now in spring is an intentional practice to delay grapevine growth and harvest time since our summers seem to be getting warmer each year.

The Compton Family Farm is full of spring babies! Tabitha’s 10 ewes gave birth to 24 lambs, the Alpine goats are due to have kids soon, and the 4-H pigs have arrived. Our friendly pet KuneKune pig, Tips, is still cruising around helping us with grazing and compost. Breve the calf, who was born last June, has grown to be a happy girl and loves her morning scratches.

Why all the animals? Don’t we have enough to do just growing, making and selling wine, and traveling with our boys to wrestling events? Cover cropping, adaptive grazing and no-tilling in our Estate vineyard is the foundation of our regenerative agriculture practice. We are building better soil, and growing better grapes that make wonderful wines, as well as feeding our family with milk, eggs and meat. We are establishing a Compton Family Farm Herd Share program to produce more food for our community. If you’re interested in more details, contact us.

We feel blessed to have watched our middle son wrap up his High School wrestling career in his senior year. This is bittersweet after 11 years of wrestling. We are so proud of all that he has accomplished, and we look forward to seeing what he does in the future. We know whatever path he chooses; he will travel it with grit and determination as these are fine traits that wrestling has instilled in him. Stick with us into 2027 to hear about our youngest son’s senior year he plans on continuing to wrestle.

We appreciate your business and your support always. In good times and in times of disarray, know that we are here with great wines, friendly smiles, and a warm place to gather. Thank you for being a part of our wine club family.

Cheers, Matt & Tabitha Compton

Chardonnay 2023 (2 and 6 Mix Clubs)
Our “half-oaked Chardonnay” is a modern twist on a classic style. We whole-cluster pressed old vine 108 Wente clone and Dijon clone Chardonnay and split the lot between our concrete egg and new French oak barrels to ferment and age. Full malolactic fermentation and contact on the lees in both vessels enhances the lingering creamy mouth-watering finish. The oak and concrete aged wines are then blended together for a harmonious balance in the bottle.

Concrete Egg Chardonnay, 2019 (6 Mix Club)
Old vine Chardonnay from the Compton Estate and Hoot & Howl Vineyard is whole-cluster pressed and placed in our concrete egg tank to ferment and age. Concrete allows for a slow, cool fermentation with the wine circulating on the lees for a round, creamy mouthfeel. Concrete also retains floral and fruit aromas and flavors that would evaporate out of oak barrels.

Pinot Gris, 2023 92 Rating (6 Mix Club)
Varietal purity is on display here, offering classic Pinot Gris flavors with hints of citrus. pear, peach, and a touch of almond – this one is something special and tastes so nice. The warm summer of 2023 rewarded us with outstanding fruit quality and higher-than-expected yields at harvest time.

Cellar Select Pinot Noir, 2023 (2 Red, 6 Mix, 6 Red Clubs)
Our Cellar Select label appears when we have a wine that stands apart from the norm. This blend was selected by Tabitha and Angela. We aged this 2023 vintage Pinot Noir in neutral oak barrels for 2 months (no new oak!) then moved to our concrete egg for an additional 8 months of aging, to make a unique Pinot Noir that’s all about mouth-watering bright red fruit.

Mary’s Peak Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2021 – 92 Rating (All clubs)
We reserve this special small-lot wine for our wine club members and our tasting room guests. 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 the highest mountain in the Oregon Coast range, this dry-farmed vineyard consistently grows top quality Pinot Noir. Allow some time for this delicate wine to breathe and open up in your glass.

Alpine Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2021 – 91 Rating (6 Red Club)
A blend of old-vine pinot noir from two dry-farmed vineyards in Alpine, Oregon: Woodhall III Vineyard, planted in 1976, and Bovine Vineyard, planted in 2008. Soils are Basalt and Red Jory series volcanic soils that typically show redder fruit aromas and flavors and elegant tannins. Alpine Cuvée Pinot Noir is aged 18 months in French oak barrels before blending and bottling.

2 MIX
Chardonnay, 2023
Mary’s Peak Pinot Noir, 2021

2 RED
Cellar Select Pinot Noir, 2023
Mary’s Peak Pinot Noir, 2021

6 MIX
Chardonnay, 2023
Concrete Egg Chardonnay, 2019
Pinot Gris, 2023
Cellar Select Pinot Noir, 2023
Mary’s Peak Pinot Noir, 2021
Alpine Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2021

6 RED
Cellar Select Pinot Noir, 2023 (x2)
Mary’s Peak Pinot Noir, 2021 (x2)
Alpine Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2021(x2)