Hiyu

I wanna open up a discussion about Hiyu, including Smockshop and Hiyu as well.

Ive had one bottling of Hiyu (the Aura released this winter), several bottles of Smockshop (some pinot, a Grenache blend, maybe one or two others). IMO these wines are fantastic. They should a very cool sense of place, even if that place is very specific to Hiyu wine farm and Nate moreso than the Hood valley as a whole. They all possess some pretty fantastic energy and are very clean, despite the incredibly natural approach.

However, there is very little on CT about them! Anyone else have any experience with these? Would love other thoughts outside the little echo chamber myself and a couple friends have formed.

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Hiyu…Aura…Smockshop…???

You’re losing me here. These sound like cannabis-related blends.

they definitely have the right marketing to appear cool but the pricing is too ambitious for me to actually try.

I was curious enough to learn WTF Matt was talking about, so I looked it up. Hiyu Wine Farm in the Hood River Valley in OR. Still a little unsure what Smockshop is, but something about an “exploration” of the Columbia River Gorge.

A couple of the better wine shops in my area think pretty highly about what they’re doing. If I’m spending $40+ per bottle, it’s not going to be on a “cool project” though.

I visited and tried their wines when they first opened a few years back. The concept is very intriguing and their tasting room experience is fun, but honestly found many of the wines, while different than what you’d find at many OR wineries, to be fairly uninteresting or not to my liking - too natural, even for someone who likes some natty wines. Factor in the pricing, especially the stuff from Atavus Vineyard, which Analemma made better IMO and much cheaper. I’ve tried a few since then due to my wife’s continued interest, but not a producer I plan to seek out or buy from. My Hood River winery purchases will go to Analemma, and maybe some Idiot’s Grace/Memaloose.

I’m not totally sure you’d be completely wrong, there is probably cannabis involved somewhere in the production. it is Oregon after all!


but this is great this is why I wanted to bring it up! seems no one has heard of them and I really enjoy the wines.

Hiyu Wine Farm. Run by Nate Ready, a Master Sommelier. They have three separate but related labels: Hiyu, the “domaine” bottling, Smockshop, the “sourced” and blended fruit, and “Tzum” sourced single vineyard projects. The farm is based on regenerative principles: no till, diversity in the vineyards, rotating plantings, etc. The entire vineyard is interplanted but related varieties. Most of the sourced fruit has similar principles in the farming and Hiyu plays a big role even if they’re not owners.

The wines are really interesting. They are not classic blends (my most recent purchase from them was a zin/cab/petit Verdot blend) but they are well crafted and traditionally made. The vineyard is taken treated with care.

the smockshop blends do typically come in at a lower price point, but I do agree some can get pricey

Attended an interesting wine dinner featuring these wines. Interesting in the sense that I don’t think I finished a single glass of anything they poured. No interest at all in tasting, visiting, or purchasing any future products. IMO exhibit A in what I consider the downside to natural/organic/orange wines. Intellectually interesting, esthetically marginal at best.

I’ve had limited experience with these, and I have yet to find one that matches the general sentiment that most have about them. The Pinot I tasted was super green and astringent. And they aren’t cheap either. I’m happy with Clos Saron, but willing to try them again.

I drink these wines with some measure of regularity–about a bottle per month–and look at my history with them in two ways:

1.) I see the clear investment back into the land that Nate and the team make, which encourages me to support their business. If I didn’t like the wines, I’d buy the bare minimum just to make sure that projects like this, that push viticulture forward, are sustained.

2.) The wines are hit and miss, but that’s no different than anywhere else. How many times are we all going to spend $150-$300 on white burgundy only to find apple cider vinegar in the bottle? At $40-$80 for most wines, it seems perfectly representative of the work it takes to produce them on the scale of Hiyu.

I am very interested in Hiyu also. I have 2 of their wines that I sourced through Viticole, the Avellana which is a red blend based on Blaufrankisch and the Smockshop Grenache. I have not popped either one yet but will report once I do.
Brian from Viticole said great things about both of these wines. My taste tends to align pretty well with his.

I had a Hiyu field blend earlier this year. Very unique and super woodsy. Not my favorite but a fun bottle to split over a few people. I’m not sure I could “split” a bottle

this probably hits my thoughts pretty well. its a fairly young project still so not every single thing is gonna be perfect when there’s as much experimenting as they do. but the concept and the investment back into the land is worth the investment IMO. ive definitely spent $50 on some disappointing pinots and cabs before.

For sure, it’s just the nature of the business. They’re not making wine according to a uniform equation which, while not inherently better or worse than those who do, is going to come with some variation. If there’s anything the COVID-19 pandemic hopefully teaches us, it’s to invest in the type of businesses you want to see more of. I want diversity in my wine offerings, so that’s where my dollar goes.

Matt - I have been a fan and subscriber the past two years. After droping all my wine “Club” memberships the past few years, Hiyu is the only one I have added and the only one I currently subscribe to. I enjoy most of the the wines, but in some cases it is a learning experience. They have planted over 100 varieties on the Hiyu estate, and current/future bottlings may focus on regional (Spanish/Italian/French) blends, in addition to the Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Here are Nates notes on two recent releases:

2018 Tzum Aos Si: "The plantation is based on planting of grapes in central Italy in the 2nd century AD and is a mixed field with many clones of Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Montepulciano, cilliegiolo, aleatico, trebbiano, cannaiolo nero and others.
2017 Hiyu Noctua: "[iIts interplanted with grape varieties from the Douro and Northern Spain][/i]

One of my recent favorites is the 2016 Hiyu Halo Spring Ephemeral. The description speaks to what Nate is trying to achieve in many of the wines:
"This is the palest of the red wines made from the own-rooted Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris planted on the central hill at Hiyu. Four barrels were made from two small fermenters. The grapes were sealed, whole cluster and un-crushed, in wooden vats for 40 days before pressing. The wine was inspired by Ganevat’s J’en Veux and is an exploration of minimalist winemaking.

Maybe not for all, but if any are visiting the Portland area after this C-19 mess is over, I would strongly recommend making the 1 hour trek (and beautiful drive along the Columbia River) east to Hood River to check out Hiyu. if on the weekend, sign up for the Wine Tavern, a full farm-to-table meal from on site Chef Jason, with six wines poured by Nate and/or Molly.

The Club has some nice features. We belong to the Canopy, which is $100/month, a nice way to spread things out rather than twice a year jolts of $600 or more. It gives us one bottle each of Smockshop/Tzum and Hiyu. Retail prices for those releases can vary from $120-$150, so a nice discount, in addition to free consolidated shipping, free farm tour and tasting each year, and nice discounts to the Wine Tavern or monthly dinner/tasting events.

They are currently offering a Covid discount of !5% and free shipping over $250, and we are receiving a 35% discount at our Club level, so recently restocked additional bottles. No affiliation, just a fan.

I know that we and members of the board often support winemakers who are “good people”, and Nate/China and their philosophy and what they are trying to do with Hiyu are certainly worth of support, especially if you enjoy the wines as we do.

Someone upthread mentioned the collaboration with Brian McClintock of Viticole Wine Club. Brian has done two podcasts with Nate. One is on their club collaboration. The longer and more interesting is with Nate on his farming philosophy and the background on Hiyu.

Here is an Instagram note from our visit at the end of August last year:

Cheers!

Steve

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Agree with this. I followed them peripherally since inception and have found their price points too aggressive. My Western Gorge dollars are also highly allocated to Syncline. Great wines and QPR. Really good folks and beautiful setting.

why would anyone pay $60 for a wine inspired by a $30 bottle. emperor’s. new. clothes.

I didn’t know wine could literally smell like farts until Hiyu.

Their Smockshop cider is pretty good though.

I find this very confusing. There are 100’s if not 1000’s of producers in the US and abroad that make “clear investments back into the land”. Many of them are selling their wines at lower prices with excellent consistency and quality. I’m confused how Hiyu is pushing viticulture forward more than others? Huge numbers of producers promote their sustainable and/or biodynamic and/or organic and/or natural approaches to viticulture and winemaking. There’s only so far you can push “greener than thou” marketing.

With respect to $150 - $300 White Burgundy. I’ve rarely spent that much for a White Burg (or any wine) and am unlikely to again unless the odds of a home run are very high. Even at $40 - $80, I have high expectations.

I’m in favor of innovative “natural” approaches to farming and production…and I wish them well. But I don’t get Hiyu, unless you consider yourself to be a personal friend or supportive donor.

RT

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