DIVISION
WINE COMPANY
WINE COMPANY
In 2010, Kate Norris and Thomas Monroe abandoned the corporate world in pursuit of their urban winemaking dreams and founded Division Winemaking Company in Portland’s hip South East neighbourhood. Sourcing grapes from some of Oregon’s finest vineyards, (all pesticide-free, organic or biodynamic), they produce classic Loire and Burgundy inspired wines in a natural, low-intervention way. They work closely with several organizations including the Oregon Wine Board and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association and have emerged as exciting leaders in Oregon winemaking today.
Tulips
$57.99 x 6
Regular price $307.91 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
We have been making wine from the Johan Vineyard, in the new Van Duzer AVA, since 2013 and have fallen hard for the vineyard's commitment to the most forward thinking Biodynamic vineyard practices. The wines made from the 80 acre Johan site are truly distinctive due to the farming techniques and geologic influences, translating into something special in the bottle!
We have loved our varietal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Johan bottlings and decided in 2018 to experiment with a co-ferment of both grapes utilizing the technique of "carbonic maceration", a style and fermentation typical to wines made in the Beaujolais region in France. The result was fantastically interesting and has often deserved a special bottling.
Along with notes of stewed strawberries and a touch of wet flinty rock, the wine also has a light and elegant floral streak, connecting it to the art on the label by Portland based artist, Camille Shu's "Tulips"
Pinot noir 75% // Chardonnay 25%
Pinot Noir Deux
$79.99 x 6
Regular price $424.73 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
Sometimes even we say WOW! The 2021 Pinot Noir “Deux” from Eola Springs Vineyard scratches all the Pinot itches we shoot for.
The balance of savory, fruit, acidity, and tannin are all there and our style that is founded on texture in the wine is clearly in place for this wine. Brimming in briny-covered red fruits, the wine is classic Pinot meant for a long future. “Deux” has the power, elegance, and balance that we always seek in Pinot Noir.
There is perhaps no other site that we have as much experience and intuition with as Eola Springs Vineyard. The Pinot Noir vines are some of the oldest in the Willamette Valley - part of our block is 50 years old - ancient by New World standards. The consistency of the old vines leads to consistency in the fruit quality and coupled with impeccable Biodynamic principle farming, we are able to produce one of our most distinctive wines.
Pinot Noir Un
$62.99 x 6
Regular price $334.46 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
We are thrilled with the 2021 Pinot Noir “Un” which just screams “PINOT NOIR” out of the glass. A near-perfect harmony between savory and fruity characteristics. The palate is dense in fruit and character with balanced tannins and acidity that carry the wine completely and seductively to smiles and enjoyment.
In a region so well known for Pinot Noir, the challenge is creating a distinct voice that speaks to our vision of this legendary grape. Matching the right approach to the site and vintage is key to our approach. As in years past, we approach the Pinot Noir “Un” cuvée as our opportunity to make a vintage character wine in our lighter, finesse-driven style. It is a Willamette Valley cuvée wine designed to perform well above its price point.
Our Pinot Noir vineyards are farmed with a focus on sustainability. Our mission to work with only organically and/or Biodynamically farmed and 100% herbicide-free sites is almost complete, with all but one vineyard hitting our criteria.
Chardonnay Un
$62.99 x 6
Regular price $334.46 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
An incredible vintage and a return to greatness after a very challenging 2020 vintage, we truly couldn’t be more pleased with the 2021 Chardonnay “Un” wine. The aromatics quickly draw you in and are bathed in a deeply intoxicating melange of floral chamomile, quince, and flint. The textural balance is spot on this vintage, a trait we believe defines our wines.
Our Chardonnay “Un” is a cuvée of exceptional organic and biodynamic Chardonnay sites in the Willamette Valley. A mix of younger vines and long-term “estate-like” vines gives a truly cross-AVA look into Willamette Valley Chardonnay.
The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and kept on their lees for 9-10 months and we resist stirring the lees. We like to vary the ripeness levels to coax different profiles from each of our sites. We are very careful with the French and Austrian oak barrels we choose to let them help structure and season the wine, but not dominate (think overly salted dishes) the character of the Chardonnay sites.
Seeohtoo
$56.99 x 6
Regular price $302.60 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
Carbonic wine lovers rejoice - earthy and spicy Sangiovese meets fruity and mineral dense Pinot Noir! This wine has all the classic hallmarks of carbonic maceration, light silky tannins, strawberries for days and the perfect weight for summertime. Try it with a little chill, but definitely don’t forget a few pals to join you for this quaffable CO2 sipper.
Pinot Noir Trois
$92.99 x 6
Regular price $493.74 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
First planted in 1980 on what is believed to be the remnants of an active volcano, this impeccably farmed Certified Organic vineyard is situated between 660 and 860 feet in elevation on Nekia, Jory and Rittner soils. The elevation, half moon bowl aspect which traps in daylight warmth, coupled with very cool evenings, all comes together to create the legendary acidity Temperance Hill wines have, all the while still demonstrating deep intensity and complete phenolic ripeness. Temperance Hill is farmed by Dai Crisp, one of the best viticulturists in Oregon, or in the U.S. for that matter, with care, vast knowledge and dedication - we are amazed by him. In other words, this is a seriously spectacular vineyard that we are honored to be making wine from.
Our .85 acre block at Temperance is the called the “Upper Bench”, which was planted in 2002 and is located near the crest of the original planting of Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer (replaced after the 2017 season with Chardonnay and more Pinot Noir). Our block features our favorite clonal combo of the elegant and red fruit oriented Dijon 777 anchored with the earthy and rustic Pommard clones.
Béton
$56.99 x 6
Regular price $302.60 PER CASE
Winemaker Notes
We love the Touraine rouge cuvée wines from the Loire that are typically served as bistro wines in Paris, and refer to them as inspiration for our “Béton” blend. The wines we enjoyed many years ago while training in France were the inspiration for the Béton cuvée. We attribute the success of our red blend, now in it's ninth vintage, to the desire of so many to have an intriguing and food friendly, yet never overly heavy or boozy red wine as a mainstay at the dinner table. The heart of this wine will always hale from the experiences we felt from the wines of the Loire, but we look at the Pacific Northwest more broadly as our palate to draw inspiration and the grapes that make this wine so unique each vintage.
Cabernet Franc 39%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Côt 20%, Gamay Noir 11%, & Pinot Noir 10%