When Paul and Steve Black purchased their first vineyard in the Red Hills of Dundee in 2003, they set out to make rich, complex wines that elegantly expressed their unique terroir. They named their winery The Four Graces in honor of their four daughters. Two years later, a second site, the beautiful Dow Ridge Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA was purchasedto enhance the pallet for French-born Winemaker Laurent Montalieu.
It didn’t take long for the wines to be noticed. They repeatedly received high acclaim and attracted the attention of Vintner Bill Foley, who purchased the winery in 2014. The luscious wines continue to be expertly crafted by Laurent, who studied vineyard management and winemaking in Bordeaux and has practiced both in France, Northern California, and Oregon. His finesse is duly noted with each elegant vintage. In 2014, the 2011 Four Graces Black Family Estate Pinot Noir received a Platinum Medal, one of the top awards from the 2014 Winemaker’s Challenge, and the 2010 Four Graces Doe Ridge Estate Pinot Noir received 93 points in the Wine Spectator February 2014 issue. Laurent is an enthusiastic advocate for the Willamette Valley as a wine region. “What we are seeing over the last year in acquisitions throughout the Willamette Valley is further justification for all the hard work we have put into growing the very best possible grapes in this area,” he says.
A visit to The Four Graces is always a rewarding experience. Located in a charming, renovated farmhouse overlooking the vineyard, the tasting room has a relaxed ambience. The staff is gracious and informative. After a leisurely tasting, guests are encouraged to stroll out to the pretty backyard patio and flower garden and enjoy the serenity with a glass of their favorite wine, be it a Pinot Blanc, a Pinot Gris, or one of several exquisitely crafted Pinot Noirs.
For more information, visit thefourgraces.com