The wine offers nuanced and creamy notes of summer orchard fruit and lemon. The limestone in the soil of Cruzille contributes to the striking finish of minerals and slate.

“The Evening Land”, in ancient Greek myth, symbolizes a dream quest for the perfect garden. Through this same pursuit, Evening Land Vineyards has brought together a range of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from vineyards in three of America’s great growing regions – Eola Hills in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and the true Sonoma Coast and Santa Rita Hills in California – along with some of their traditional reference points in Burgundy. This diversity of soils and micro-climates is reflected in the delicious differences in aroma and flavor that are hallmarks of all fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Evening Land Vineyards’ Oregon and Sonoma Coast operations are managed by Isabelle Meunier, a Quebec native who studied viticulture and oenology at Dijon University in Burgundy and earned a postgraduate degree from New Zealand’s Lincoln University. She employs organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyards and traditional Burgundian methods in the cellars and collaborates with renowned Burgundian winemaker Dominique Lafon of Domaine des Comtes Lafon to produce wines that highlight the unique flavors and minerality particular to her sites. In 2006, Evening Land Vineyards purchased Hayes Ranch Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and released the first vintage in 2009. The organically farmed, 40-acre vineyard was chosen for its cool climate, long growing season and extreme exposure. Bloom’s Field,Tempest and Memorious are individual block selections. Additional fruit is sourced from the region’s notable climats, namely Sanford & Benedict, Rita’s Crown, Radian, Bent Rock and Sebastiano. Burgundy is where Evening Land Vineyards finds its heart and inspiration. Winemaker Christophe Vial – formerly of Domaine des Comtes Lafon and Domaine de Montille – joined the team in 2007. His relationships with renowned growers allow him to source superior fruit. The fruit is hand-picked and the wines are made using traditional methods. Since April 2012 Evening Land Vineyards has taken over the Chateau de Bligny as its winery and European headquarters. Taking a page from Burgundy, Evening Land’s blue label wines are the equivalent of regional appellations, intended to provide an introduction to their distinguishing characteristics as defined by climate. Silver labels are intended as “village” designate wines. Gold labels are used for signature monopole estate wines that represent the most complete expression of terroir. White labels are given to rare wines produced from very specific plots within a vineyard that produce fruit of such outstanding character that they call for their own cuvees.

Technical notes

Grapes from Cruzille in the Macon region were whole cluster pressed, settled overnight, racked to barrel with their fine lees and matured in French oak barrels (20% new).

Producer

"The Evening Land" has long been a symbol of the dream quest for the perfect garden. From ancient Greek myth to now, the search for The Evening Land is synonymous with adventure and romance that inevitably leads to the extremes of America's West Coast. Evening Land Vineyards has brought together a collection of pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards in the three great growing regions of the American West. From the Eola Hills in Oregon's Willamette Valley, to the true Sonoma Coast in the town of Occidental, California and ending on the western lip of Santa Barbara County's Santa Rita Hills, Evening Land organically farms over 120 acres of heritage vineyards that produce 13 Estate wines imbued with this unique spirit of place. An orchestrated mix of old vine own rooted Oregon and California heritage clones, cuttings from the great established pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards of Burgundy and an experimental block of pinot noir grown from seed, the Vineyards of the Evening Land present a vivid view of Burgundy’s legendary grapes raised in the amazing diversity of America’s climate and soil. The opportunity to acquire great vineyard sites in three diverse climates gave us a rare opportunity to explore the sensitivity of pinot noir and chardonnay as it thrives in the red volcanic dirt of Oregon, the fog wrapped ridges of Sonoma and the windswept mountains of decomposed sea shells of the Santa Rita Hills. Soil and climate diversity make their mark on Evening Land wines, creating those delicious differences that are the hallmark of fine pinot noir and chardonnay.