Troon Vineyard is among a handful of organic and certified Biodynamic wineries of Southern Oregon. We watched Troon’s progress for over a decade, and their wines made a substantial leap in quality in recent years.
While they are on our wine radar for just over a decade, they’ve been around much longer.
Troon Vineyard History
Troon Vineyard was founded in 1972 by Dick Troon when he decided to plant grapes of Cabernet and Zinfandel (first in Oregon) in Applegate Valley.
Interestingly, the legendary David Lett planted some of the first Pinot Noirs in Willamette Valley of Oregon not too long prior. In doing so, David was driven by his vision of creating Burgundy of the New World in Oregon.
Dick’s decision was a rather practical one.
After Dick’s visit to Headelsburg in the heart of Napa, California, he realized how similar the climate is. He decided to convert his cattle range to a vineyard and leverage his agricultural skills in a new way – as a vintner. He thought growing grapes might bring more money, and he was right. Troon, the second vineyard of the region, was born.
For a while, Troon vineyard was a source of grapes for other wineries. But in 1993, Dick re-invented himself once again by converting the barn into a winery.
In 2003 Dick Troon sold the winery to the Martin family, and change followed. The new owners built a modern facility, experimented with new varietals, but didn’t have a clear vision for the winery. The winery business is tough and unforgiving. Not surprisingly, the winery was up for sale once again.
In 2017 winery stepped into a new era when it was purchased by Bryan and Denise White. As they said, “We didn’t find Troon. It found us.” They came by the winery by chance while visiting their children in Grants Pass and touring the wineries.
Troon’s Winemaker
After the purchase, the estate continued to be led by wine industry veterans Craig Camp as winegrower and general manager and Steve Hall as a winemaker.
The new owners realized that they had something special with Troon and embraced Craig’s vision for Troon, including organic and biodynamic farming and non-interventional winemaking.
In 2019, Nate Wall became a winemaker for Troon after the decade of winemaking in the Willamette Valley. His knack for science and sustainability lead him to embrace natural winemaking and biodynamic vineyard practices. That’s what Troom was looking for in the process of their rejuvenation since 2017. Naturally, Nate and Troon were drawn to each other.
Troon Vineyard Today
Almost fifty years later, it evident that Dick’s decision to plant grapes was more than practical. It was visionary as well. Many others have followed, and while Southern Oregon is still searching for its identity as a winemaking region, it’s a vibrant community of inspiring, inspirational, and talented winemakers.
Troon today has grown to 95 acres, with 40 of them under vine and cultivating over a dozen grape varieties. They fully embraced organic and biodynamic winemaking. The winery is both Demeter Biodynamic® and CCOF Organic Certified.
Troon Vines
The Applegate Valley climate is quite unique. It’s warmer than Willamette Valley and sunnier than California. How come? In the summer, days are longer due to its northern latitude. The summer days are hot, which makes Applegate Valley a warm Meditteranean climate region like California. Yet the growing season is relatively short, and there are four distinct seasons here. The area is also influenced by daily cool Pacific breezes and the elevation, producing drastic temperature swings between day and night. So, although Dick planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Applegate is less than ideal for Cabs, which can hardly achieve California’s ripeness.
That’s why following the acquisition, Whites invested a lot into an exploration of the land and its biome. That’s why estate wines are inspired by varietals of Mediterranean coasts of Southern Europe and French regions like Madiran, Cahors, Bandol, Languedoc, Rhone region, and Italian Sardegna.
Varietals such as Syrah, Marsanne, Roussane, Malbec, Vermentino, and many others are already grown by Troon and other vintners in the valley. And that’s where Troon sees the future. That’s why they are in the process of re-planting the vineyard with varietals that fit well into the terroir.
Troon Wines
Some of the grapes mentioned above might be unfamiliar to many wine lovers. Still, these grapes undeniably delicious when blended together. That’s why Troon’s winemaking team envisions the future of their wines in blends. Not surprisingly, some of our favorite wines we tasted at the winery were blends.
Piquette! 2019
We started with 2019 Piquette! – a funky estate blend of Tannat, Sauvignon Blanc, Primitivo, and Vermentino. The best way to describe this fizzy bubbly is sparkling IPA. It definitely has an acquired taste.
Vermentino Estate 2018
Next was an enticing interpretation of Italian grape variety 2018 Vermentino Estate. It has an almost off-dry profile of savory honeydew flavors with apple, fresh-cut grass, and mineral aromas.
Kubli Bench Amber Applegate Valley 2019
Then we continued with trendy orange wine 2019 Kubli Bench Amber. It is a blend of Riesling 74%, Viognier 16%, and Vermentino 10%. This amber-colored wine had flavors of apricot, yellow apple, orange skin, and a mineral saltiness.
Côtes du Kubli Rouge Applegate Valley 2018
Another highlight of the tasting was Côtes du Kubli Rouge Applegate Valley 2018 – a velvety blend of Syrah 72% and Grenache 28% filled with dark ripe fruit. It’s an excellent representation of Southern France blend in Oregon.
Cuvée Pyrénées Estate 2017
Cuvée Pyrénées Estate 2017 is a co-fermented blend of Tannat and Malbec grapes and an example of wine you may find in France’s Cahors region.
Why Visit Troon Vineyard
Applegate Valley is a beautiful place to visit and tour wineries, and, as we mentioned before, it’s still in search of its identity. Winemakers are experimenting with varietals and wines. Some are more successful than others.
What makes Troon Vineyard is so attractive – are their wine lineup that is unparalleled in the valley. Their movement towards blends makes their portfolio, not just unique but a delicious one as well.
What are your thoughts if you’ve been to Troon Vineyard or tried their wines yet?
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