Leah Jørgensen 'Le Coeur de Tour Rain' Gamay Noir, Havlin Vineyard, Van Duzer Corridor, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2022
Leah Jørgensen launched her Portland-based, négociant-style winery in 2011 with a singular mission: to make Loire-inspired wines from Oregon fruit — beginning with Cabernet Franc — in a state dominated by Pinot Noir. A fourth-generation Oregonian with winemaking roots stretching back to 18th-century Italy on her mother's side and barrel-making traditions in Austria through her grandfather, Jørgensen came to winemaking after a decade in the wine trade, most notably as a representative for Louis Dressner Selections in Washington, D.C., where her palate was shaped by the Gamay-driven reds of Touraine and the Gamay bottlings of the Beaujolais crus. She went on to work harvests at Anne Amie, Shea Wine Cellars, and Alloro Vineyard before establishing her own label. Named one of Food & Wine's "15 Women in Wine to Watch" in 2018, she has built her reputation around small-lot, minimal-intervention wines made without new oak. The 2022 vintage is the final release of the 'Le Coeur de Tour Rain' Gamay Noir, as Jørgensen has returned her full focus to Cabernet Franc.
- Winemaker: Leah Jørgensen
- Farming: LIVE Certified Sustainable, Salmon Safe
- Variety: 100% Gamay Noir
- Terroir: Havlin Vineyard is a 2.54-acre block on a southeast-facing slope in the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, planted in 2011 with cuttings sourced from the historic Seven Springs Vineyard — the oldest Gamay planting in Oregon, established in 1984. Owner Jeff Havlin was the primary driving force behind the Van Duzer Corridor AVA designation, officially established in 2019, and cultivates his vineyard dry-farmed in Dupee soils (downslope Willakenzie series), a marine sedimentary loam. The Van Duzer Corridor is defined by a gap in the Coast Range through which Pacific winds funnel into the Willamette Valley each afternoon, cooling the canopy, thickening skins, and dramatically preserving acidity. This thermal modulation makes it one of the coldest and windiest sub-AVAs in the Willamette Valley, and among the most compelling sites in Oregon for cool-climate Gamay.
- Vinification: Minimal intervention; no new oak used.
- Aging: Neutral French oak barrel.
- Tasting Notes: Vibrant ruby. Aromas of wild raspberry, red currant, sour cherry, violet, and wild herbs, with a stony mineral undercurrent. The palate is lithe and energetic with vivid red fruit, fine-grained tannins, and bright, mouthwatering acidity. Long, clean finish with a hint of white pepper.
- Food Pairings: Roast chicken, charcuterie, grilled salmon, mushroom dishes, beet salad with chèvre, light pasta with tomato-based sauces. Serve slightly chilled at 58–60°F.