Failla Wines
Failla Wines, a project started in 1998 by winemaker Ehren Jordan, has been making wines in the Willamette Valley since 2015. With an impressive history in California starting with Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Neyers, and Turley Wine Cellars, Ehren has been making his mark on the California wine scene for many years.
Failla’s Oregon expansion was serendipitous. The 2015 California harvest left Ehren 25% short on the vintage and his friends at Evening Land Winery gave him some of their famed Seven Springs fruit to make a small amount of Pinot Noir. Ehren fell in love with the fruit and the region and has started to put down some roots in the area.
Ehren’s vision for all of his wines is to tell the story of place and time. He hopes to create the best representation of each great vineyard he works with. Ehren is a master at finding rarity in the vineyard and has spent the last two years searching the Willamette Valley for Pinot Noir blocks worthy of single vineyard designation as well as Chardonnay, Gamay and Grüner Veltliner.
Ehren’s approach to winemaking is strongly in favor of minimal intervention…with a twist. He likes to raise the bar, and to do that, he experiments: skin contact, whole cluster, different vessels, different pick dates, etc… He does not inoculate or make additions to his wines, so it is interesting to see how the various vessels bring out each vineyard’s expression.
With a new vineyard under development just outside Dallas, Oregon, Failla’s Willamette Valley project is going to be fun to see (and taste) over the coming years.