My Day In The Willamette Valley - Part 5, Colene Clemens

It's a good thing these folks have one of those blue signs, because no one would ever drive the last 2.5 miles on a gravel road just to see what's up there unless they knew they'd find something. 

I don't know the story behind this place and their website is under construction, but I decided to stop by as I was on my way home because Doug Ackerman had said it was beautiful, and it is. It's a BIG facility, obviously designed for way more production than they're getting from the newly-planted vineyard. Outside, it's kinda rustically Northwest-ish. Inside it's a little over the top for my taste, but certainly not in the fashion of a couple other places I can think of.  

They offer two wines, a regular and a reserve pinot noir. Apparently there will be more in the future as their vineyard plantings come on line. It's indeed situated in a beautiful spot above Ribbon Ridge

The wines are black-fruited, well made and use more oak than my ideal but the fruit seems to have soaked it up pretty well. Fairly large in scale, they'll appeal to folks who aren't as infatuated with finesse, elegance and acidity as I am - folks who really like Lynn Penner-Ash's wines, for example. Kinda spendy, too. Still, a nice addition to the valley.