Explore Oregon Wines: Wineries | Varietals | AVAs | Cellar 503 Selections
Lady Hill Winery Ad Lucem Elaina Red
The Grapes Next Door
Capturing the earth, the weather, and the year in a bottle, wine is the ultimate farming experience. In 1995, Elaine and I added vines to the fields of vegetables, grains, and arborvitae on my family's 5th generation Willamette Valley farm. We designated this 20-acre estate vineyard, St. Columban. In 1999, we co-founded Owen Roe Winery in what was formerly the machine shop for the farm. We rolled out the tractors and combines and rolled in the tanks and barrels, transforming the space into a full-production winery.
The winery is situated on 1500 acres of my family's farm, founded in the 1850s. Adjacent to Champoeg State Heritage Area, Oregon's first provisional government was founded in 1843. Each generation has cultivated crops, family, and memories. In 2012, Elaine and I created a new winery and gathering space to honor the past and contribute to the rich history of this land.
Blessed with a bounteous lineage of female family members, Lady Hill Winery is a tribute to the family farm that has been home to the Zorn-Owen ancestors since the 1860s and the long, lady-laden ancestry of the Zorn-Owen family.
As I write to you from the Hudson’s Bay Company desk of my forefathers, in the home that has sheltered over 150 years of family, please know I am nearly as proud to bring you our Lady Hill Winery house of brands as I would be to present each of my children in this house.
Welcome to Lady Hill, a True Northwest winery!
Jerry and Elaine Owen, Proprietors
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Lady Hill Winery, St. Paul, Oregon
Ad Lucem Elaina Red
Ad Lucem is the Lady Hill Winery label of choice for the increasingly adventurous consumer who seeks a wine experience a bit more demanding, and a lot more rewarding. Latin for “into the light,” the Ad Lucem label represents a new beginning. An opportunity for wine lovers to discover new Northwest wine experiences through Lady Hill wines.
For as wonderful and harmonious as these three varietals are blended together, they could not be more different on the vine. Syrah, the dark blending beauty oozing with blue and black fruits is one of the earliest ripening vinifera in our stable. It’s brooding fruit notes and pillow-like tannins seem to hug it’s counterparts like a warm blanket.
Too much and it can be suffocating to the blend. Grenache, the lesser known of the three amigos, takes its cue from racy red raspberry and a rustic spice that needs every degree day Red Mountain can give to ripen fully. Mourvedre, also known as Mataro or Monastrell, carries with it a candied red fruit matched with gamey, wild characters that accentuate the dusty, earthy spice of this balanced blend
VARIETAL: Mourvedre (37%), Syrah (28%), Grenache (35%)
PROFILE: Dark, penetrating hues of wine and raisin at the core swirl into lighter shades of sangria and mulberry around the rim. Despite its support from the red, candied fruit of Mourvedre and the spicy sandalwood of Grenache, Syrah is in the driver’s seat with brooding blackberry and vanilla notes. Tart lifted flavors of red raspberry refreshes the palate before giving way to savory hints of white pepper and dried herbs. Layers of texture add a weighted mouthfeel before finishing with lingering acidity. Enjoy this wine over the next 3-5 years.
PAIRING: Herbed roasted chicken, spiced pork loin or a selection of roasted root vegetables
A Cellar 503 selection in May 2024, Oregon Wine Month Columbia Valley | Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
