The Wine

Between 700 and 800 feet in elevation, Elk Cove’s steep, south-facing La Bohème Vineyard is the highest Pinot noir site in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Planted in 1985, its old Pommard vines have long been a favorite in the Campbell family’s single-vineyard Pinot noir lineup. La Bohème wines bring to the glass clarity of fruit, hints of forest floor and a lengthy finish. The site is also known for its spectacular views of Oregon’s Coast Range Mountains.

Why plant vines so high up in the mountains? Pat Campbell (née Merz) was inspired by her Swiss ancestors, who left the tiny alpine town of Adelboden to settle in the Oregon town of Helvetia, named for the Latin name of Switzerland found on every Swiss Franc. Dairy farmers by trade, they grew Chasselas vines and made wine prior to Prohibition. But the family never lost that Swiss longing for a view of the mountains—or their appreciation of Alpine wine and cheese. Add a zero to 800 feet and you have some of the best skiing in Oregon. After a long day on the black diamond slopes in powder heaven, you remove your skis, poles and jacket. You push past the heavy wooden doors of the lodge to find a spot by the fireplace where you can sit wrapped in a cozy blanket, glass in hand. A Saint Bernard brings you a tiny barrel of Pinot noir made by mountaineer Adam Campbell. Soon you discover, once again, that that there’s nothing better with Swiss fondue than a Pinot noir made by a man with alpenglow in his blood.

Learn more about this lot during Preview Week, when winemaker Adam Campbell will present this wine during a virtual tasting session on July 28. Register here.

The Winery

Founded in 1974 by Joe and Pat Campbell, the Elk Cove Estate was the first vineyard and winery in what would become the esteemed Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Named for the majestic Roosevelt Elk that roam the nearby hills, we craft our 100% estate wines from six vineyard sites in the northern Willamette Valley. We’re known for outstanding single-vineyard Pinot noirs and vibrant cool-climate white wines. We remain proudly family-owned under the management of second-generation winemaker and fifth-generation farmer Adam Campbell.

Learn more about Elk Cove Vineyards
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All wine is sold FOB the location of the winery that produced the lot purchased. WVWA is not responsible for shipping wine. Shipping or delivery arrangements, expenses and insurance are the sole responsibility of the purchaser. Any shipment of wines out-of-state is the responsibility of the purchaser, who is solely responsible for compliance with the laws and regulations of said state.

The producing winery currently has distribution in the below listed countries and states. A list of distributors is available upon request.

AU
BS
BM
CA: BC, ON, QC
KY
DK
HK
KR
PR
TH
UK

USA: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WY