Hawks View Winery
”Winemaking is a real art. Each wine has to be an expression of the place in which it was grown”
Hawks View Winery is a family-owned Oregon winery located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA in the northern Willamette Valley. The Domaine was founded in 2007 by Jack Kemp, his wife Willie, and their son AJ. Even though the creation of the cellar was in 2007 vines were previously planted in 1989, over 50 acres by the Benziger family.
Currently the winery extends over 22 hectares, mainly planted with Pinot Noir but on a different kind of soil that permits them to produce a range of single vineyard wines. In 2017, a few years after Jack’s passing, Hawks View Winery was purchased by the Ponte Family.
I discovered this winery for the first time this year and I really enjoyed this meeting… not only meeting with the team but also with the terroir. I was seduced by the signature of Hawks Cellar wines. They are elegant, very fine, beautifully defined / precise, deep, racy and offer a beautiful ripe / acidulous fruit and an aerial side. Every different cuvée in their range offers a real identity, reflecting their terroir.
So, let’s go to meet Don Crank III, winemaker of Hawks View Winery.
Where does the name Hawks come from? Don Crank III: It’s the name of the birds that I saw when I arrived in the vineyard for the first time. There are a lot here!” A variety of hawks frequent the skies and trees around the winery, including Red Tail Hawks, so it was only natural for the Kemp’s to name the winery in their honor. We also catch site of the local Bald Eagles now and then!
Why do you make wine? D.C.: What else can I do? Wine is all of my life. It’s a family story for me. My father and his family share their passion with me so I get involved. I fell in love with Pinot Noir when I was young. Then after the tasting of Oregon wines I decided to stay here and to think out of my previous project.
Can you describe in a few words what wines mean to you?
D.C.: I would say: Surprise (the moment you are sure, in fact you are wrong), Balance (in wine, in the taste, in everything… in life!) and Grace (a feeling you have mostly with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). My vineyard is graceful, like the wine.
What kind of terroir do you have here? What does this terroir bring to your wines?
D.C.: There is a type of volcanic soil composed by lava dating back 15 million years ago which gives iron notes and red fruitedgrapes. There is also a dust sand which gives strawberry, petal of rose and such a great aromatic imprinting on wines as well as different aromatic faces. Moreover the tannins are very soft in all our estate grapes; Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir… I’ve been working in these hills for 20 years and I may say there is a strong power here. Our vineyard planted pinot noir produces very concentrated wines. The east-facing slopes of our vineyard protect the vines from the heat of the summer, while the moderate elevation ensures optimal ripening and permits it to keep freshness.
Concerning vineyard management, there are a lot of certifications in the USA, just like in Europe. I have just one, L.I.V.E. Certification. However, for me the priority in my work is always the sustainability.
Can you speak a little bit about this certification?
D.C.: L.I.V.E. Certification means Low Input Viticulture and Enology. This sustainable label is provided by a third party, including independent certification of specific sustainable practices in the vineyard as well as the winery (team, tools and buildings).
Do you have any future projects?
D.C.: Yes we have a few. One of them is to make a sparkling wine Blanc de Noir. So, it’ll be made only from Pinot Noir and follow the Méthode Champenoise. It will be launching in the next few months.
If you pass by this valley I warmly recommend you to stop to enjoy their great wines and the amazing view!
• Hawks View Winery 20210 SW Conzelmann Rd, Sherwood, Oregon 97140 (USA) www.hawksviewwinery.com