Alcohol: 13%
Grape(s): Pinot Noir
Localization: Dundee Hills A.V.A, Oregon, USA
Tasting Notes: The Maresh Liminal is a lightish-medium, youthful and rich red with shimmering light and transparency. The nose begins with powdery minerals, fresh, sun-ripe strawberries, and subtle spices. The mouth is a deeper, richer version of the nose supported by restrained power. The Liminal has the silky texture that the Dundee Hills is known for, and there is this feeling of winged verticality. This vintage is finely structured and sublime, and I’m honoured to have worked closely with these plants since 2008.
The Domain: Kelley Fox Wines is a small winery I created in 2007 and my father, Gerson "Gus" Stearns. Though I have lived in the Willamette Valley for over 32 years, I love Oregon more every year. The first vintage (2007) started with just over 100 cases. The annual case production is now around 5000 cases from vineyards, including the historic Maresh Vineyard, Hyland Vineyard (1988 Coury Clone Pinot), Freedom Hill Vineyard(barrel-fermented Pinot blanc, Pinot noir, and Chardonnay), Weber Vineyard(1983 and 1988 Pinot), Durant Vineyard (Chardonnay and Pinot gris), Dux Vineyard (Chardonnay), Carter Vineyard (1982 old vine), and Canary Hill Vineyard.
I've been a full-time, year-round, on-the-floor Oregon Pinot noir winemaker since 2000. My education includes a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Biology from Texas AM University. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual degrees in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University and was admitted to the PhD program in Biochemistry.
Before completing the doctorate, I changed my path to pursuing winemaking. I learned winemaking not from a classroom or textbooks or from other regions but directly from Oregon winemakers who had put in some serious time. I was deeply influenced by my dear friend and former employer, the late David Lett of The Eyrie Vineyards. David was the ultimate iconoclast who pioneered the Oregon wine industry in the 1960s.
My winemaking experience includes Torii Mor, Hamacher, and Eyrie, and ten years as a winemaker at Scott Paul Wines (August 2005 to about mid-April 2015). Since then, I have happily worked for my own winery exclusively.
