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Three Feathers Estate 2021 Pinot Gris
She who plants shall gather
High in the hills of the new Laurelwood District AVA, you’ll find the Three Feathers Estate, the family passion of Christine Stimac and her two daughters, Elise and Cynthia.
It’s a gorgeous hilltop property, with a formal garden and a home designed by Christine’s architect husband, Victor. A 155-acre property, the vineyard sits between 700 and 1000 feet in the hills with views of Mt. St. Helens.
Christine and Victor moved to Oregon from Philadelphia in 1991 — “we chose to live here because everything grows here” — and after twenty years of extensive gardening and farming, Christine decided to start a winery.
A cousin of President Theodore Roosevelt, she named the winery for the three ostrich plumes that adorn the Roosevelt family crest found on the wines’ labels. The family motto is Qui Plantavit Curabit, or “he who plants shall gather.” (You might know it as “you reap what you sow.”) For Christine, Elise, and Cynthia, that family motto reflects their values of hard work, enterprise, and harvest. And indeed, the fruits of their labors are delicious.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Three Feathers Estate, Hillsboro, Oregon
2021 Pinot Gris
Here in Oregon, we take our access to Pinot Gris for granted. First planted in America in Oregon in 1965, the wine has become associated with Oregon, second-only to Pinot Noir. And let’s be honest, sometimes we Oregonians get a little jaded, a little bored by it.
But when this 2020 Pinot Gris from Three Feathers Estate found its way this May to the formal residence of the US Ambassador to France, in the heart of Paris… well, it was a big hit, impressing the French wine elite gathered to check out the American competition.
Pinot Gris was planted at Three Feathers Estate in 2014, but this is the first harvest that produced enough fruit to make wine – and we are thrilled to be able to feature it at Cellar 503. Just 75 cases produced, and more than half is dedicated for our members!
You’ll find a slight effervescence that opens up the wine with aromatic notes of white flowers and crisp apples, followed by classic flavors of pear and citrus, white peaches and melon. There is great acidity here and a wonderful crisp, clean finish.
A Cellar 503 selection in July 2022, Summer Party Wines Chehalem Mountains | Pinot Gris
