Oregon’s Laurelwood District AVA is all about the dirt! [infographic]

The most unique aspect of the Laurelwood District is its abundant Laurelwood soil, for which it was named. In fact, the boundaries of the AVA were determined based on where this type of soil is consistently found. A giant, cohesive swath of Laurelwood soil makes up the entire AVA. And while Laurelwood soil can be found sprinkled around other parts of the Willamette Valley, it’s broken up by other soil types.

Laurelwood is a wind-blown silty loam, called loess, that is dark brownish-red in color and has an almost ashy texture. Created after repeated massive Missoula floods, over time it was blown up onto the eastern slopes of the Chehalem Mountains. Follow this link to read more about the Missoula floods. Loess soil is very fertile and drains well– both qualities that grapevines love and thrive in.

Actually, there are two types of Laurelwood soil found in the Willamette Valley. The newer, younger soil can be found in patches throughout the lower elevations in nearby AVAs. Surrounded by various other soil types, this loess soil is not nearly as old as that found in the Laurelwood District.

Between 1 million and 50,000 years old, the older Laurelwood soil is concentrated solely in the new appellation. It sits upon fractured volcanic basalt layers and is more than 60 inches/152 cm deep. Interestingly, old loess contains small pisolites that look like rusted iron BBs. Caused by weathering of the minerals in the soil, these pisolites contribute to the unique terroir found in the Laurelwood AVA.

Another important fact about the new AVA is that there aren’t any large rocks or hard, compacted soil to prevent the grapevines from growing deep into the ground. Two benefits of deep roots are that the plants can better self-regulate during hot spells in the summer and have access to moisture they might not otherwise get with shallower roots.

As waterlogged rain clouds travel inland from the Pacific Ocean, they first hit the Coast Range Mountains and then the Chehalem Mountains, both forcing the release of much of their precipitation. Not only does this appellation get more rain than any of its neighboring AVAs, it might just be the wettest designated wine-growing region in the state.

All the Pinot noirs we tasted shared notes of earth and acidity. Whether forest floor, mushrooms or sandalwood, this thread of earthiness recurred throughout the lineup. Tart red fruit aromas and flavors, including cranberry, raspberry and rhubarb best described the notes of acid in all the red wines. Many of these Pinots also had notes of cherry and were quite light and high-toned. Paired with their characteristics of acidity and earthiness, Laurelwood District Pinot noirs go well with many types of dishes.

We opened 4 Laurelwood District white wines; Riesling, Pinot gris,  Chardonnay, and a brut sparkling wine. Three different wineries with different winemakers… and found some interesting similarities that can only be attributed to terroir. All had abundant, tart acidity that married well with earthy notes. Lemon aromas and flavors were also prominent in all the wines. These whites are versatile and very food-friendly too!