Lessons in Terroir
Élevée Winegrowers believe deeply in the concept
By Aakanksha Agarwal
In August 1990, Tom Fitzpatrick’s life changed forever. It happened during an impromptu detour through Napa and Sonoma counties. What began as a casual trip to a visit a college roommate quickly transformed into a profound revelation. As Fitzpatrick wandered through the vineyards, he was struck by their splendor and the promise they held. He reflects, “I loved the beauty of the environment, the connection to the land, the artistry, science, cyclical nature and the idea of growing something that could be crafted into something so beautiful.” This chance encounter established the groundwork for what eventually became Élevée Winegrowers, after several years of exploration and education.
Fitzpatrick’s growing interest in winemaking prompted him to leave Illinois for UC Davis, where he pursued graduate studies in Viticulture & Enology. There, he studied the phenolic profiles of Pinot Noir from various clones throughout California. “I aimed to understand the distinct characteristics imparted by different clones,” Fitzpatrick explains. “What I actually found was each clone can express itself differently, depending on the environment in which they are grown. Environment is king!”
People frequently consider terroir as an almost mystical force— something you can’t quite isolate but which influences the wine. For Fitzpatrick, it became obvious in a very visual way. His comprehension of terroir deepened significantly during his tenure in Burgundy, where he worked with Hubert Lignier in Morey-St-Denis. Fitzpatrick recalls a pivotal moment from November 2006, driving along Route Nationale 74 between Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-St-Denis— when he witnessed terroir in action. “After weeks of cold weather signaling the vines’ shift to dormancy, the leaves had turned yellow in varying degrees. Instead of a uniform yellow, the hillside displayed a patchwork of different shades, revealing distinct vineyard blocks. What had previously been a sea of green now showed the influence of varying soils and environments, clearly visible in the changing colors,” he says. It was a striking, visual reminder of the powerful role environment plays.
His experience in Burgundy, along with winemaking stints in Washington, California and New Zealand, reinforced Fitzpatrick’s belief in the vital role of terroir. “What I saw on that drive was the embodiment of how different environments influence vine development and, ultimately, the wine’s character,” he notes. “It made me realize terroir is not just a concept but something visible and tangible.”
This newfound understanding would become the cornerstone of Fitzpatrick’s winemaking philosophy, marking the beginning of his “Study in Terroir.”
In 2008, Fitzpatrick and his wife France took a bold step and bought a vineyard in the Dundee Hills, helped by creative financing and USDA support. “Having made my living as a professional winemaker, we had little money available to start Élevée,” Fitzpatrick says.
“We purchased our Dundee Hills vineyard with almost no money down.” In the early years, Fitzpatrick balanced winemaking duties elsewhere while managing their vineyard and selling fruit to other wineries. Their first wine, a modest batch of 100 cases of Pinot Noir from estate-grown grapes, was produced in 2012. This debut release was a testament to their perseverance.
“We started from scratch,” Fitzpatrick recounts. “It was a slow, careful process, growing only as our resources allowed. Each step was deliberate, driven by our desire to showcase pure and precise wines.” By 2014, production had grown to 300 cases, and they began self-distributing their wines in Seattle and Chicago, broadening their reach.
The search for exceptional terroir continued, leading Fitzpatrick to explore the diversity of the Willamette Valley. “We identified the North flank of the Chehalem Mountains with its Laurelwood soils and the East flank of the Eola-Amity with its cooler, windy Van Duzer-driven environment,” Fitzpatrick explains. “These two areas presented the opportunity for different Pinot Noir expressions with unique, distinctive characteristics.”
At Élevée, this pursuit of terroir remains a core part of their philosophy. “Our ‘Study in Terroir’ is a deliberate exploration of how various soils and climatic conditions shape the flavor profiles of our wines,” Fitzpatrick elaborates. “We immerse ourselves in the diverse expressions of Pinot Noir across the Willamette Valley. This approach allows us to highlight the unique characteristics of each site and craft wines that truly reflect their origins.”
Visitors to the Élevée tasting room experience more than just the “Study in Terroir” tasting—they also have the opportunity to meet the winegrower couple and enjoy a walk through the vineyard, seeing and touching the vines firsthand. Guests are welcomed to a cozy garden patio with a breathtaking view. And to make the visit even more memorable, Four, their Maître d’— a charming Bernese Mountain Dog— greets everyone with a friendly paw.
Fitzpatrick’s choice to call themselves Élevée Winegrowers rather than winemakers reflects their intrinsic belief in the relationship between growing and winemaking. “The roles of grower and winemaker are deeply interconnected,” he says. “Decisions made in the vineyard significantly impact the final wine, which is why I remain involved in all aspects of farming. Being a ‘winegrower’ involves integrating both growing and winemaking practices to create a unified approach to producing wine. Our growing decisions are actually winemaking decisions.”
His commitment to capturing each site’s unique characteristics extends to winemaking techniques. “Our focus on capturing ‘purity’ drives my winemaking,” Fitzpatrick notes. He uses whole berries for fermentation, using a subtle carbonic maceration that frames the flavors of each site. “I realized early on that ester development and the perfume these esters bring to the wines were the best way to render the tastes from a particular site’s environment,” Fitzpatrick explains. “It’s about letting the wine express its true self.”
As Élevée celebrates its tenth anniversary, Fitzpatrick reflects on the winery’s journey. “The wine business is a capital-intensive industry, but my wife and I ‘bootstrapped’ Élevée, using our winegrowing knowledge, experience and pure grit to compensate for our lack of money,” he recalls. From modest beginnings with self-funding and small-scale production, the winery has grown to produce 1,500 cases annually, with wines now available in 11 states.
Fitzpatrick views vintage variation as an integral aspect of terroir. “When discussing terroir, what we’re talking about are environments and the flavors these environments deliver. Vintage is actually an element of terroir… it’s the environmental conditions Mother Nature gives us during a given year,” he says. Embracing these variations allows each wine to capture the unique conditions of the year, offering a glimpse of that specific moment in time.
To address the challenges posed by a warming climate, Fitzpatrick says, “We are now ripening from August into September, the warmest time of the year in Oregon. To slow down ripening, allowing for a longer hang-time and avoiding overripe flavors, we closely manage our canopies.”
Ultimately, Fitzpatrick’s vision for Élevée is to introduce you to the most beautiful and wonderfully diverse personalities of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. “I don’t think much about legacy. Our hope is to discover the best ways to render the beautiful expressions of our sites, capture the magic of each and bring joy through our wines” he says.
Here are four remarkable wines, each a reflection of the unique qualities of the vineyard site:
Élevée Vineyard 2021 Pinot Noir
Sophisticated and balanced
From the Dundee Hills Estate, this Pinot Noir offers fresh raspberry notes and a hint of violet, wrapped in a smooth texture.
Bjornson Vineyard 2021 Pinot Noir
Complex and inviting
This wine from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA features a rich blend of cherries and peach, with an elegantly smooth finish.
Madrona Hill Vineyard 2021 Pinot Noir
Rich and robust
Sourced from the Chehalem Mountains AVA, it presents bold flavors of black cherries and a touch of spice, with a velvety mouthfeel.
Meredith Mitchell Vineyard 2021 Pinot Noir
Deep and structured
From the McMinnville AVA, this Pinot Noir offers intense boysenberry flavors and savory herbal undertones, supported by a solid structure.
Élevée Winegrowers
9653 N.E. Keyes Ln., Dundee
eleveewines.com
(503) 840-8448
Aakanksha Agarwal is a wine, travel and lifestyle writer from India. Formerly a Bollywood stylist, she now resides in the U.S., embracing writing full-time while juggling family life and indulging in her passions for cuisine, literature and wanderlust.
