Welcome to Carabella Vineyard. We produce elegant estate Pinot Noir, Dijon Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. "It is all about vineyard site." That's the belief of geologist and winemaker Mike Hallock. The vineyard is located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA in Oregon's Northern Willamette Valley. It was the culmination of a twelve year search for a site combining the best criteria of top quality Oregon and French terroirs. Trained as a winemaker in Colorado (really!), Hallock brought his tanks and equipment over the mountains on a flatbed for the first vintage in 1998. The winery is virtual (shared space with winemaking colleagues), but the vineyard is very real.
Pinot noir is the main emphasis, with seven different clonal blocks fermented separately, then blended prior to bottling to exhibit the complex potential of the vineyard. Making modest use of new French oak, the focus is on purity of fruit and elegance of style.
The Dijon 76 Chardonnay is made in a Burgundian style with minimal oak, lush texture and mineralty. Carabella also produces an Alsatian style Pinot Gris, which has intensity of fruit, aromatics and structure exhibited by only a few of the best vineyards in Oregon.Â
