Color Collector Gamay Noir 2024
2024 Color Collector Gamay Noir, Colombia Gorge AVA
100% Gamay from Columbia Gorge, Washington side of the Columbia River, Rock Steady Vineyard, Underwood Mountain
Soil: Derived from basalt and andesite mixed with volcanic ash, the fine loam soil has a light rusty orange color.
Elevation 1,100-1,300 ft.
Farming: Organically managed
Winemaking: ~50% hand-destemmed and cake layered with whole cluster. Native yeast fermentation in 2 ton vat with minimal extraction. Basket pressed before 10 month élevage in large format neutral oak. Unfined, unfiltered. Moved only by gravity.
ABOUT COLLOR COLLECTOR
After graduating from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, Bethany Kimmel moved west to Jackson Hole where she first discovered wine. While working in a small shop on Broadway, she experienced a three-year-long wine epiphany, culminating in a final “ah-ha!” moment with her move to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2011. Since then, Bethany has worked at Soter Vineyards, Kosta Browne, Hunter’s Wines, Chapter 24, Phelps Creek, and was most recently the assistant at Analemma. The Color Collector produced its first wine in 2015 and from the beginning has sought out unique, old-vine parcels of Gamay from around the Willamette Valley. Fruit is gently hand-destemmed or left with partial whole clusters for an open-top, native yeast fermentation. After a gentle basket pressing, the wines are raised entirely in neutral oak and moved only by gravity before being bottled with nothing added and no filtration.
Nestled between 3 of the nation's largest active volcanoes Mt Hood, Mt St Helens and Mt Adams, Underwood mountain is an ancient volcano cone which last erupted 5 million years ago. The aged weathered mountain slopes contain a colluvium type soil, slow tumbled and rain washed over millions of years. Derived from basalt and andesite mixed with volcanic ash, the fine loam soil has a light rusty orange color.
The Gamay vines are 8yrs old, planted on a south facing slope, tucked between towering wind rows of fir, cedar and pine trees. The vineyard elevation is between 1100 and 1300 ft situated above a steep cliff overlooking the Columbia River. This is Bear and Salmon country. The strong winds which funnel through the Columbia Gorge keep growing conditions dry all summer and lead to thicker skinned mineral rich fruit. The vineyard is managed using certified organic standards as well as some additional biodynamic preparations to enrich and activate the soil life.