For Immediate Release:
Oregon Winemaking Couple Purchases Historic Hyland Vineyard:
Montalieus assume ownership of 200-acre property
May 29, 2007. McMinnville, Oregon: Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu of Soléna Cellars, in partnership with their Northwest Wine Company co-founder John Niemeyer of Oregon Wine Services (OWS), announce the purchase of the historic Hyland Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA.
First planted in 1971, Hyland is of one of Oregon's oldest and largest vineyards with 100 acres currently under vine and exceptional potential for future development. Hyland grapes have contributed to decades of top scoring wines for benchmark producers such as Bergstrom, Torii Mor, Lange, Erath and Sokol Blosser.
The addition of Hyland Vineyard to the dynamic partnership's other McMinnville-based enterprises presents a unique, vertically-integrated company covering all aspects of the wine industry from grape to table. Longtime Northwest resident and real estate investor, Niemeyer comments, "Our aspiration to create a full service organization to benefit the Oregon wine community came to fruition with the purchase of Hyland. We can now provide the best in vineyard selection, winemaking, wine storage, marketing and a relaxing place to enjoy the products of this great industry."
Companies under the partnership include Northwest Wine Company (NWWC), a state-of-the-art custom crush and winemaking facility, the 7th largest winery in Oregon and home to 25 producers under the winemaking watch of Laurent Montalieu; and Northwest Wine Bar, a trend setting retail outlet featuring wines from Oregon and beyond. OWS, a temperature controlled case good storage and fulfillment services for over 100 wineries managed by Niemeyer's son Jeff Meader, and the Montalieus' winemaking, sales and marketing consultancy Domaine Danielle Laurent, complete the umbrella organization.
"Hyland Vineyard is strategic to us on several levels, " adds Laurent Montalieu. "From a winemaking perspective, Danielle and I have always believed in making wines that reflect a sense of place, and an Oregon vineyard with this history presents the ultimate expression of terroir. Plus, having such a large vineyard as a resource, we are able to provide clients of NWWC access to some of the best fruit in the Willamette Valley." The Montalieus plan to introduce a Soléna Cellars "Hyland Vineyard" Pinot Noir this year.
Hyland will be managed by Joel Myers, one of Oregon's top viticulturalists, who will oversee the immediate planting of another 20 acres to Pinot Noir. His extensive experience with older vineyards spans 27 years when he worked alongside pioneer vintner David Lett at the Eyrie vineyard. "I've walked Hyland many times over the years," said Myers. "The fruit quality has always been outstanding and you can't beat this combination of soil, microclimates, and elevation. These are some of the oldest and best plantings of Wadensvill, Pommard and Coury Pinot Noir in the country. It's an impressive piece of property." Danielle and Laurent Montalieu are among the best -known and respected couples in the Oregon wine industry. Both were introduced to wine at an early age: Laurent as a child in Bordeaux, and Danielle through the Andrus family's Pine Ridge winery in the Napa Valley. After several years of winemaking in the Napa Valley, Laurent moved to Oregon in 1987 to join Willakenzie Estate. Danielle was instrumental in establishing her family's Oregon property, Archery Summit. In 2001 they founded Soléna Cellars, naming it after their daughter. The couple planted 5 acres of "wedding vines" on their "Domaine Danielle Laurent" estate in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA which they farm biodynamically.
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Hyland Vineyard Details:
Situated in the heart of the McMinnville AVA, the vineyard has prized southeast exposure and commanding views, with elevations of 600-800 ft above sea level. Soils are primarily red volcanic Jory with basalt base rock.
Current vineyard plantings consist of 47.21 acres of own-rooted old-growth Pinot Noir planted in 1972-73 and Pommard, Wadensvil, and Coury planted in 1974. In 1989, 21.84 acres of Pommard and Dijon clone 115 were grafted on to root stock 3309. The remaining acreage includes 6.43 acres of own-rooted older Chardonnay, 11.04 acres of Riesling, 6.1 acres of Gewurztraminer, and 6.75 acres of Muller Thurgau.
Location: Northwest of the Bellevue intersection, approximately 5 miles southwest of McMinnville.
AVA: McMinnville
The sale marks the first time that the vineyard has changed ownership outside of the original partnership of four local families. While the property had been listed for over $4 million, the purchase price for the vineyard and adjacent plantable parcels totaling just under 200 acres was undisclosed.
Original ownership families: Kreimeyer, Markley, Welch and Trenhaile
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