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carry a smaller amount of fruit that is higher in concentration and flavor. The
grapes are then hand-harvested, ensuring the preservation of the delicate
fruit. Non-interventionist in method, Christopher lets the wines develop on
their own, including about eight percent of the grapes to be fermented
as whole clusters to give the wines additional spice and complexity.
The grapes are fermented in a combination of both wooden and stainless
steel tanks in the five-level winery that is exclusively gravity-flow. This gentle
handling is critical to preserving all the natural flavors that the grape has
to offer. The wine is then stored in a natural underground cave where
temperatures are maintained at a constant 55 degrees year-round.
Above: Archery Summit was deliberately built as a gravity-fed winery, with the
purpose of transferring the wine from tank to barrel as gently and naturally as
possible.
Right: Christopher tastes Ab Ovo Pinot Gris from its unique concrete fermentation
vessel.
Facing Page Top: Pinot noir grapes are hand-harvested on a fall morning in the
Dundee Hills.
Facing Page Bottom: During fermentation, the grape skins are punched down by
hand up to three times per day to maximize extraction of flavor and color.
Photographs by Andréa Johnson
