The Land
Winter in our Dundee Hill Estates
Winter’s quiet work in the vineyards begins a new journey shaping the next harvest at Holstein Estate and setting new vines at Nova Ridge on their decades-long path.
Between 15 and 20 million years ago, volcanic fissures in the eastern part of what is now Oregon produced large lava flows that traveled east to west through the Columbia River basin, depositing basalt across the northern Willamette Valley.
Today, the Dundee and Eola-Amity Hills are predominantly composed of this basalt parent material, yet with a high degree of variability in composition, depth, and decomposition rates. The result is a diverse canvas of volcanic terroir to be explored, expressed, and understood.
Our aim is to understand this material beneath us; its range of expressions and its ability to produce compelling world-class wine. It is not enough to simply know its origins; we wish to explore its full potential through holistic farming and thoughtful winemaking.
Volcanic Foundation
GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Where it all began.
The parcel where Jackson was raised, adjoining the land where Ayla grew up is now stewarded together as their own. Located on the farthest eastern ridge of the Dundee Hills AVA, the Holstein Estate Vineyard stretches from 615 to 740 feet in elevation, with slopes facing all four cardinal directions. Its fractured basalt soils vary in composition and density across the hillside, demanding precision and constant presence.
First planted in 1972, it was among the earliest vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The Holstein family began incremental replanting in the early 1990s, evolving the site with intention while preserving its legacy. Today, it is home to old-world Pinot Noir clones, farmed organically without irrigation to encourage root exploration.
A small year-round team tends the vines daily, making decisions collaboratively and responding to the season’s signals—guided by generational knowledge and the lessons of vintages past.
Holstein Estate Vineyard
DUNDEE HILLS AVA
DUNDEE HILLS AVAWhere heritage meets possibility.
Tucked atop a central ridge in the Dundee Hills at 700 to 815 feet in elevation, Nova Ridge is Granville’s newest vineyard parcel, spanning 20 acres with westerly and eastern exposures. Acquired in 2023 and converted from an abandoned orchard, Nova Ridge is being carefully transformed by the Granville team who’s guided by the same values that shape all of their viticulture: organic farming, dry cultivation, and deep respect for place.
Planted to field blends of Pinot Noir (four clones), Chardonnay (six clones), and a touch of Aligoté, the vineyard’s western flank is defined by a high percentage of vesicular basalt underfoot. The site represents both a return to rudimentary viticultural techniques and a forward-looking approach rooted in clonal diversity and thoughtful farming.
The Nova Ridge story is quietly unfolding, one season at a time.
Nova Ridge Estate Vineyard
DUNDEE HILLS AVAQuiet power from a lesser-known knoll.
Established in 2011 by Mark and Lorie Stevens, DUX Vineyard is a hidden six-acre site located on a northern knoll in the Dundee Hills at approximately 450 feet in elevation. Now farmed by Jackson and the Granville team, the vineyard sits in classic Jory soils but within a subtly distinct microclimate, with more protection from the Van Duzer Corridor winds due to the sheltering peak just south of the site.
This natural windbreak moderates stress and shifts ripening toward a more restrained, elegant profile. The site’s balance of elevation, exposure, and soil lends itself to wines that are poised, aromatic, and finely structured—quietly confident rather than assertive.
Named “DUX” in reference to its Latin root meaning “leader” or “best in class,” the vineyard embodies the Granville philosophy: precision, restraint, and most importantly a quiet sense of place.
DUX Vineyard
EOLA-AMITY HILLS AVAAn ancient place, organically reborn.
Planted in 1981 on what is believed to be the remnants of an ancient volcano, Temperance Hill is now farmed with care by Dai Crisp, a pioneer of organic viticulture in Oregon. Under his guidance, the site was certified organic in 2012 and has been Salmon Safe since 2005.
Granville works with just two acres from the North Block, planted at 820 feet to Pommard clone. It is a naturally austere site—cool, exposed, and full of quiet complexity—yielding wines that speak with clarity and restraint.
Temperance Hill Vineyard
EOLA-AMITY HILLS AVAHigh elevation. High energy.
At 800 to 1,100 feet, Koosah Vineyard is one of the highest-elevation sites in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Planted in 2016 by Kevin and Carla Chambers, the vineyard has been organically farmed from the beginning and quickly established itself as a benchmark for expressive, high-altitude fruit.
Now owned by Résonance Winery, Granville continues to source select blocks of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Chardonnay comes from Blocks 5 and 7, both steep, wind-exposed slopes where Pacific air meets afternoon sun, resulting in fruit with alpine qualities, energy, and tension. Pinot Noir is drawn from Blocks 1, 9, and 13, offering structure, perfume, and mineral depth.
Koosah Vineyard
“What I stand for is what I stand on.”
Wendell Berry
