First of the Last: Hope Well Rosé 2021

9/1/22 -

A few months back we put out an offer that included some wines from Hope Well Vineyard, owned and operated by the one and only Mimi Casteel. We are huge fans of both Mimi and her wines. A Willamette native and a vineyard child, Mimi has a masters degree in Forest Science and spent years with the Forest Service as a botanist. Over the past fifteen years since planting Hope Well, Mimi has been perhaps the leading voice in the United States for what has come to be known commonly as regenerative agriculture (large-scale winegrowing in most of the world remains a monoculture, not so different from corn or soybeans or the Christmas tree farm that previously occupied the land upon which Mimi planted her vines). Her approach is a form of integrated agriculture that not only eschews chemicals and tilling of the soil but includes other crops as well as livestock, all with the goal of creating genuine biodiversity and healthy living soils.

The Hope Well wines are always fascinating and we are very excited to offer some out today. These are pair of rosés from a single small lot of Pinot Noir (blended from selected rows from throughout the vineyard) and vinified into three distinct wines.

The first is Monday's Child, pressed after a maceration of less than twenty four hours. This is always the most delicate and crystalline of these wines, crisp and beautifully precise.

The second, Tuesday's Child, spends a full 48 hours on the skins and takes on more red fruit and texture. Fans of Sylvain Pataille's legendary Fleur de Pinot rosé from Marsannay should take note.

Sunday's Child is the red from this set and will be released later in the year. We will keep you apprised of its arrival!

Mimi's wines are consistently among the most compelling wines in Oregon, or anywhere in the US really, and deserve our attention. But if you ever needed a nudge in the right direction, then consider this: 2021 was Mimi's final harvest at Hope Well Vineyard. She sold the property following the harvest. While we can expect to see new wines from her in future, these two bottles on offer today are part of a last chapter in one of American viticulture's most exciting stories. There are just 21 bottles of each wine available today but buy two of each and receive the case discount of ten percent!!!