Our Story
Carabella produces elegant estate Pinot Noir, Dijon clone Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Winemaker/geologist Mike Hallock’s minimalist philosophy in the cellar focuses on the elegance and complexity inherent in Parrett Mountain’s volcanic soils. Trained as a winemaker in Colorado, he brought his tanks and equipment over the mountains on a flatbed to Oregon for the first vintage in 1998.
Farming comes first. Estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris sourced exclusively from Carabella Vineyard.
We decided to farm our vineyard sustainably when we first planted in 1996. Sustainable viticulture was not really a “thing” in those days. However, several years later LIVE certification was created; we already farmed above the LIVE requirements, so certification was easy for us. We also are members of the Deep Roots Coalition, an organization dedicated to vineyards and wines sustainably without irrigation. Today we are transitioning our between-the-row cover crops to native grasses and encouraging local wildflowers. Our bluebird nesting boxes put our feathered team to work on undesirable insects.
Pinot noir is our 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. Blocks which stand out in a particular vintage often merit their own limited bottling.
The Dijon Clone Chardonnay is made in a Burgundian style with minimal oak, silky texture and crisp minerality. 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.
