You haven’t had much French wine I take it? Farts/brett galore. 10 bottles in, and tasted most of the current lineup back in September, and have yet to smell farts in Hiyu/Smockshop wines.
As for the Cider, we will be trying the recently released 2014 Smockshop Cider in the next few days and looking forward to it.
Cheers!
Steve
Ive only had two bottles from this producer…both their Smockshop Band label…the Lunasa which is a Grenache blend, and the Spring Ephemeral Rose which i think is a Zinfandel.
I enjoyed both bottles very much. They were both unique wines with great aromatic complexity.
Considering the oceans of forgettable wines available at similar price points, i’m happy to spend the money for something of interest from these folks.
Hi Matt and William,
There are actually a lot of producers in Oregon going to great lengths to be sustainable, regenerative, and thoughtful in their farming well beyond Mimi and Nate. I started no-till at Bishop Creek in 2006, and at Whistling Ridge(in our blocks at the time) in 2007. While farming is always work in progress, the majority of producers that are members of the Deep Roots Coalition are focused on the same choices in farming that Nate and Mimi do. You just don’t hear it because they’re not on podcasts or Viticole interviews. Both Nate and Mimi are incredibly articulate and intelligent people, and they are really more spokespeople for a wider movement in the Willamette Valley rather than singular producers.
I’ve known Nate from when he didn’t have a beard, and he’s a very, very bright guy doing some really interesting work in the gorge. Mimi Casteel is awesome, but so are the rest of the family, and Pat and Ted should get more credit, they planted the vineyards at Bethel Heights in 1984 and have been one of the bigger influences in “right thinking” in the vineyards of Eola-Amity Hills and the Willamette Valley in general.
But for under $40 in Oregon you can get a ton of good wines made by people who are just as talented, and just as committed to providing similar commitment to the land. And who understand that biosphere is as important as the vines themselves. I rarely take people to Whistling Ridge, but the best description of it that I have heard is “untamed”. Which is our goal.
William, here’s a list of under $40 WV wines you may want to try. It’s not meant to suggest that your support of Nate at Hiyu should move to these producers, I think Nate’s project is authentic and well intentioned. He is definitely an enthusiast and his energy is something the gorge definitely benefits from. That said:
Cameron-while the vineyard designates are >$40 the entry wines are dynamite and great values. The owner, John Paul, and his assistant do the farming at the estate vineyard(Clos Electrique) themselves and Abbey Ridge is farmed by Bill Wayne, an old hippie-type who has been organic for many years. Cameron is a benchmark for doing the right thing in the vineyard for 35 years, but the wines don’t need promotion and John doesn’t do interviews(but he’s absolutely magic to talk to). He’s one of two founders of the Deep Roots Coalition.
Evesham Wood-Russ Raney is the other founder of the Deep Roots Coalition, and was organic and sustainably farmed back when I did harvest there in 2002. Erin Nuccio took over the reigns in 2008 and the winery continues to be a big influence on many of us.
Belle Pente-over the years many of our evolutions of practice in the vineyard were aided by Brian O’Donnell at Belle Pente. From using whey in the vineyard to replace chemical sprays as well as ideas on greenspace and dry farming. Brian also has been sporting “the Beard” in the Willamette Valley for 20+ years.
Brickhouse-under $40? Mmm…maybe not. But Doug Tunnell has done more for organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming than probably anyone else in the Willamette Valley. Much of it just by walking the walk in the vineyard and then producing great wines from the fruit. (Doug converted Mike Etzel at Beaux Freres to both organic and BD practices, along with many others). Doug was BD and certified organic in the early 1990s, and care for the soils and biosphere at his vineyard is his focus. No cool new varietals planted, but Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are hard to beat where he’s at. And his Gamay is excellent.
All of these producers have newer producers, like myself(well, newer than them), who learned from them and picked up the mantle of right thinking in our interactions with our world via growing vines. To be fair, I picked up my beliefs in farming from my grandparents growing up on a farm on the east side of the Willamette Valley. But these are the people I looked to once I started producing wines. Other “disciples” of these producers I would highly recommend wines from include Jay Somers, Johan, Vincent, Crowley, Martin Woods, Kelley Fox, 100 Suns, and most members of the Deep Roots Coalition.
And in 2017, I moved our price point down to $40 for the vineyard designates. It’s where I felt many true wine enthusiasts with regular budgets had to draw a line. I believe very strongly that the vineyard should see less of my hand, and that the resulting fruit will show more of the site. And I wanted us to have wines that had the singular personality of site available at that price range.
This is a great thread, and I hope people will check out Nate’s wines from the Columbia gorge. It’s a very cool growing region. Analemma, Syncline, Memaloose, and Viento as well.
But I also hope that people understand that the first “Nate Ready” in Oregon was David Lett. And Nate and Mimi are both amazing spokespeople for a culture here that has existed among small producers in Oregon long before them and will, with their help and many others, continue to exist for many years.
I have a mixed six-pack of this wine from a trip to Portland back in 2018. Guess I should uncork one!
Great info from everybody, thanks. I enjoy cool projects which are environmentally unique and plan on checking them out. That’s a nice brief history lesson and taught me a few things Marcus, thanks.
Also, now I have the term for when people ask me what I’m doing with my lawn (there is none, it’s all natural growth). It’s regenerative!
this is a great point and post Marcus. thanks!
what you are saying is one of the biggest reasons I love Oregon wines in general. I think the way you, Mimi, and Nate farm is far more prevalent there than almost anywhere else in the wine world. its fantastic and I applaud all of you for it! my goal with this thread was not to take from what anyone else is doing but just to build awareness for a producer I’ve liked and try to gain more knowledge about them because their bottlings get complicated. that said, I hope to be able to support as many people farming consciously as possible.
Yet, the Del Prete Primitivo is drinking quite nice tonight. Never know what you’ll find opening a random thread.
All well said and agreed, for Marcus as well.
TN: 2019 Tzum Solais Spring Ephemeral
Bright, fresh, and crisp. This is a blend of all allowable CdP varieties with a high proportion of white grapes. drinks more like a white than a red with high toned aromatics akin to roses and white flowers, but complex and fun to drink. Drink now with grilled, spicy tacos or hold for a little while, but don’t miss the freshness here.
Hi, Ruth. Can you clarify what you mean? Thanks! And welcome to the forum.
For a bit more background (I didn’t see this mentioned previously, so forgive me if I skimmed over it) - Nate was the former MS along with Bobby Stuckey (of Frasca and the Independent Restaurant Coalition), so he is associated with some large names in the food industry. If you are a foodie, look up Frasca! It’s definitely worth the drive from Denver to Boulder if you’re in the area. You’ll also likely see Bobby around in his signature houndstooth jacket. (As an aside, Tavernetta and Sunday Vinyl are in the Frasca Food & Wine restaurant group and are also worth exploring if you’re in the area.)
I’m surprised the Floreal cider line hasn’t been brought up. I first tasted it at Gramercy Tavern in NYC in Dec 2019 during a tasting menu - poured and coordinated by Steven Solomon. A very interesting wine offshoot that can be very approachable with food (I believe it was served with a smoked skate dish, which really brought out the earthiness of the cider).
Unfortunately, the Floreal brand is a little challenging to locate locally, as it doesn’t seem to be as widely distributed as the Hiyu lines in Denver. I’ve had several different offerings from the Hiyu family - all have been very palatable at the minimum. I have a bottle of the Solais I’m waiting for the right guest list to open!
Tavernetta is glorious.
Revival.
Had the ‘17 Noctua this evening. Absolutely glorious. It’s like Loire cab mixed with Canary Islands listan negro and 
delicious. It’s just too damn good to ignore.
Also Nate is the man.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say your knowledge of Canary Islands listan negro is only surpassed by your love of 13th century Hungarian poetry and spirited kok-boru matches.
Normally I would take umbrage at being pigeon holed but I’ll be damned if the shoes doesn’t fit.
My partner and I enjoyed a lunch/wine tasting at Hiyu this afternoon. I can’t recommend this experience enough. First, the food was fabulous - all from their garden and farm. And great portions, served along with generous pours of Hiyu wines. The wines were wonderful - taut fruit with nervy backbones. Skin contact wines all share much in common; but those in this group from Hiyu showed individual characteristics that set them apart from each other, even if all “orange”. Other wines served were fabulous - a pinot noir/pinot gris blend was superb! Prices are steep for many of their wines. I think the pinot noir/pinot gris blend is $250/bottle. We left with a pinot gris and an albarino - $48 and $65, respectively. I may not collect these wines given the price point for many of them; but we will be back with out-of-town friends, and locals, to experience a great winery/farm and people totally committed to their pursuit of wines and table. BTW, our server, an intern at Hiyu, was amazingly knowledgeable and excellent. The server will be doing a stage next in Paso. People like this make me believe that the future of wine is in great hands!
We have been fans of Nate Ready and what he has been doing at Hiyu for several years (and several posts upthread). As noted, the dining/tasting experience has been awesome. We have enjoyed the Wine Tavern, the Farmer’s Lunch, and most recently (July), the ‘Feast’ (weekend dinner). Food and service have always been excellent, and we were lucky to have Nate and Chef Jason Barwikowski as our Servers the night we were there. The wines can be divisive, as some of the comments share, but we have been impressed with what Nate and team are doing with the multi varietal field blends focused on regions, or patterned after field blends from hundreds of years ago. I think Nate now has over 100 varieties planted, so that may be too much of a stretch for those who prefer single varietal bottlings.
Agree the retail pricing is extremely aggressive We enjoyed the wines and experience enough that we joined the monthly subscription early on, so get a generous discount on the bottlings, free shipping and I believe 20% discount on the tastings, lunches and dinners. It is the only subscription we have added in the past five years, while shedding a number of others.
Coincidentally, just posted some pix from our July visit on IG (@steveandmisuk), and some photos from a previous visit in our 2020 post up thread.
Cheers! 
Steve .
Thanks for your note, Steve. We were thinking the same thing - that the monthly subscription may be the way to go, especially if it offers discounts on lunches/dinners.