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So if you had blue blood running through your veins, were part of a monarchy that stretched from what is now the Netherlands to Burgundy, and had time on your hands, you’d probably want the finest wine possible for your friends and court, wouldn’t you? Of course you would, and four generations of
Valois
royals, known as the Dukes of Burgundy, made sure they did too.
Indeed, wine historians credit these royals with an explicit strategy to associate the
Burgundy
region (a regal state of its own at the time) with superb pinot noir wines. Beginning in 1395, Philip The Bold, the first such Duke, issued a bold edict that the “vile and noxious” gamay vines should be uprooted from the Côte d’Or in favor of the more “elegant” pinot noir.
Sixty years later, Philip The Good was still railing against the planting of gamay grapes, which had finally been limited to
Beaujolais, but which were still preferred by growers who cared foremost for productivity and less for quality. “The Dukes of Burgundy are known as the lords of the best wines in Christendom,” he insisted. “We will maintain our reputation.”
In homage to the noble lineage of these dukes from the House of Valois – and their unwavering passion for the best wine that could be created – we too strive to produce the best wines from
Oregon's
Willamette
Valley, pinot noir’s undisputed duchy in the New World.
We lack the tools of royal fiat, so instead we nurture, coddle and cajole the fickle pinot noir grape, with the same dedication as they do in
Burgundy,
and we produce our wine in small, handcrafted lots. When those efforts serendipitously result in a few barrels of uncommon quality, we label it Bishop Creek Valois Reserve. Raise a glass, sip, and you’ll feel you’re among royalty.
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