FRIENDS & FAMILY FALL 2025 ALLOCATION
Hello Friends and Family -
Greetings from the Hazelfern fam! We hope that you had an amazing Summer and are as excited for the Holiday season as we are.
Here at the winery, we just finished another fantastic harvest season, and all the barrels are filled and tucked away for winter. Due to an early start to the 2025 growing season, this marks the first time we’ve ever been 100% finished before Halloween and we’re VERY excited about that. We’re using this extra time to do some “normal” Oregon things with the kids like visiting pumpkin patches and foraging for mushrooms. Harvest usually wipes us out for about two months at the start of every school year, and our kids have been such troopers for giving us grace and patience – we’re making it up to them this Fall.
Wine season is here! We’re excited to cozy up for the holidays and share some amazing food and wine with our friends and family. In these times that can feel chaotic, we’re comforted in knowing that wine is a love language that brings friends and family together – we’re looking forward to more togetherness this holiday season.
Enough about this year – let’s talk about the amazing new wines we’re sharing with you this Fall from the 2023 vintage!
HAZELFERN JUST NAMED TOP 100 WINES IN THE USA FOR 2025 BY JAMES SUCKLING
The Fall Friends & Family allocation includes six bottles - 2 bottles each of 3 new release wines:
2023 Pinot Noir, Three Cedars Vineyard (Friends & Family $55/bottle)
2023 Pinot Noir, La Belle Promenade Vineyard (Friends & Family $55/bottle)
2023 Syrah, Stoney Vine Vineyard (Friends & Family $55/bottle)
Follow along on Instagram for regular updates from the farm!
Be sure to check-out Bryan’s winemaking and tasting notes below.
We also have a few very limited new wines for your holiday tables that we’re offering first to our Friends & Fam: 2024 Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2024 Trousseau, and our 2024 Gamay Noir. Don’t sit on these beauties as they are extremely limited.
Additional wines available this Fall:
2024 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley (Friends & Family $24/bottle: Regularly $30/bottle)
NEW!: 2024 Trousseau, Chehalem Mountains (Friends & Family $35/bottle: Regularly $45/bottle
NEW!: 2024 Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley (Friends & Family $35/bottle: Regularly $45/bottle
NEW!: 2023 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley (Friends & Family $30/bottle: Regularly $39/bottle) 93 Points
NEW!: 2023 Chardonnay, Prime Cut (Friends & Family $62/bottle: Regularly $75/bottle) 96 Points
NEW!: 2023 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley (Friends & Family $30/bottle: Regularly $39/bottle) 93 Points
2022 Pinot Noir, Prime Cut (Friends & Family $75/bottle: Regularly $85/bottle) 97 Points
UPDATE YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS, CREDIT CARD, AND/OR ORDER ADDITIONAL WINES HERE
Fresh News:
NEW HAZELFERN ACCOLADES:
HAZELFERN JUST NAMED TOP 100 WINES IN THE USA BY JAMES SUCKLING
2022 Three Cedars Pinot Noir named #33 best wine tasted in 2025
International Wine Report (by subscription):
"The 2023 vintage is a vintage of poise and one that balances freshness and fruit density, elegance and texture"
97 Points, Editor's Choice: 2023 Prime Cut Pinot Noir
97 Points: 2023 The Hazelfern Vineyard Pinot Noir
97 Points: 2023 Prime Cut Chardonnay
96 Points: 2023 La Belle Promenade Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 Points: 2023 Stardance Vineyard Pinot Noir
94 Points: 2023 Three Cedars Vineyard Pinot Noir
96 Points: 2023 Rock Block Chardonnay
Jeb Dunnuck - Willamette Valley 2023's
"The 2023 wines have great definition, and there are many exceptional and great wines coming from top producers"
96 Points: 2023 Prime Cut Pinot Noir
96 Points: 2023 The Hazelfern Vineyard Pinot Noir
96 Points: 2023 La Belle Promenade Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 Points: 2023 Three Cedars Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 Points: 2023 Stardance Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 Points: 2023 Prime Cut Chardonnay
94 Points: 2023 Rock Block Chardonnay
JamesSuckling.com Oregon Tasting:
We highly recommend relative newcomers like Hazelfern... along with stalwarts such as Ponzi, The Eyrie Vineyards, Domaine Drouhin, Cristom, Bergstrom, and Evening Land"
96 Points, TOP 100 USA: 2022 Three Cedars Vineyard Pinot Noir
96 Points: 2022 La Belle Promenade Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 Points: 2022 Prime Cut Pinot Noir
93 Points: 2022 Sea Ghost Pinot Noir
93 Points: 2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
We’re extremely grateful for all your continued support and enthusiasm for Hazelfern – our family is so thankful for the opportunity to share our wines with you. Hope to see you back in the barn soon!
Thanks!
-Laura, Bryan, Adalyn, Ava, Gus & Sadie
About the 2023 Vintage in the Willamette Valley:
The 2023 growing season marked a return to more normal conditions (albeit warm) here in the Willamette Valley. After the wildfires in 2020, extreme heat spikes of 2021, and the hard freeze in 2022, it felt great to return to a relatively normal growing season in 2023.
The 2023 vintage was set-up with a cool and wet Spring which led to a slightly later than normal bud break (10-day delay). The Willamette Valley then experienced a very warm May with temperatures reaching the high 80’s and low 90’s, and this quickly accelerated vine growth and created good conditions for bloom.
Summer brought consistently warm but not overly hot temperatures with almost no precipitation through the end of August. The Willamette Valley recorded the warmest and dryest August on record). Rain arrived at the beginning of September which gave the vines some relief and allowed for the grape sugars to balance while flavors developed.
Harvest was very quick and condensed. At Hazelfern, our Pinot Noir harvest started on September 13th, and was over by September 21st (with eight vineyards in total… that is very fast!). The resulting wines are extremely high quality, with a gregarious personality and lots of balanced complexity thanks to the September rains. They are sure to be crowd pleasers!
About the 2022 Vintage in the Walla Walla Valley:
The 2023 season got off to a late start: bud break was about 10-14 days behind average. After the delayed start, the season accelerated: bloom and veraison occurred slightly ahead of historical averages in many blocks.
Spring was cool and somewhat delayed, but May warmed up nicely and set the tone for favorable summer conditions: warm days and cool evenings, with relatively few extreme heat spikes.
Harvest began early compared to recent seasons. Yields were below average setting up high quality potential: smaller berry and cluster sizes in many sites, likely due to the delayed start and quick heat accumulation.
In short: 2023 in the Walla Walla Valley delivered a very good vintage under near-ideal conditions. A delayed spring gave way to a warm, steady summer, moderate yields, excellent flavor development, and minimal stress or adverse events. The resulting wines display ripeness, depth and purity of fruit, while retaining fresh acidity and structure.
(qty. 2) 2023 Pinot Noir, Three Cedars Vineyard, Laurelwood District, Willamette Valley
*$65 / $55 (Friends & Family)
I'm so excited to share our third bottling of Pinot Noir from Three Cedars Vineyard!
I've wanted to make a Pinot Noir from the Laurelwood District AVA for several years and finally got the chance after meeting Keith and Jane Johnson, owners of Three Cedars Vineyard, in 2021.
The Laurelwood District is famous for producing textured and elegant Pinot Noirs with beautiful floral aromatics (specifically red rose petal). The Laurelwood District is nested on the North side of the Chehelam Mountains AVA, and the soils are a unique wind-blown Loess (called Laurelwood). Geology Nerd Alert: It is believed that the floral aromas are caused by small iron BB's called pisolites that are unique to the Laurelwood soils.
Three Cedars Vineyard sits on a north facing slope in the hills West of the town of Sherwood, OR. The vineyard is farmed using organic practices by our vineyard manager, Jessica Cortell, and is planted to three clones of Pinot Noir: Pommard, Dijon 115, and Dijon 667, and we lease all the blocks of Pinot Noir.
In 2023, we picked the Pinot Noir over the course of three separate pick dates. Given the warm summer, we wanted to do one pick really early for freshness and acidity, and then two later picks for flavor complexity and concentration. I also folded in 20% whole cluster for added texture and spice.
I have fallen in love with the elegance and velvety texture I'm seeing from this vineyard, and am so excited to work with the fruit long term. I hope you enjoy our newest kid as much as we have been!
Tasting Notes:
Elegant, charming, and dreamy. Fresh pomegranate, raspberries, bergamot, wildflower petals, and thyme are accented by allspice, dried herbs, and a stony minerality. Snappy acidity with fine tannins that linger in the background and bring you back for more.
Acclaim: 95 Points (Jeb Dunnuck), 94 Points (International Wine Report)
Delicious with: gruyère cheese, olives, filet mignon
100% Pinot Noir
13.1% alcohol
Geek out:
Aged 14 months in 100% French Oak (25% new oak)
Featured clones: Pommard and Dijon clones 115 and 667
6-day cold soak
14-day fermentation
20% whole cluster fermentation
pH: 3.64
Unfined and Unfiltered
Vineyard Facts:
Three Cedars Vineyard:
*Clones: Pommard and Dijon clones 115 and 667 planted in 2013
*Dry farmed using organic farming principles
*Laurelwood District AVA in the Chehalem Mountains
*Soil: Laurelwood (wind-blown Loess)
*Elevation: 540-595 ft
(qty. 2) 2023 Pinot Noir, La Belle Promenade Vineyard, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley
*$65 / $55 (Friends & Family)
I'm thrilled to share our second bottling from La Belle Promenade Vineyard!
In 2021, we had a chance to work with fruit from Flanerie Vineyard, and in 2022 we moved up the Chehalem Mountains to Flanerie’s sister vineyard, La Belle Promenade. La Belle is a high elevation vineyard off Kings Grade Road at 820 feet with incredibly rocky and volcanic soils. The volcanic material lends to bright fruit notes while the rocks add a depth of iron minerality and stoniness.
The resulting wine is very interesting and unique – I could smell it all day long. It has tart red fruits but also darker blue fruits. The saline and iron quality adds so much cool complexity to the wine. She’s another stunner, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
Tasting Notes:
Unique, exotic, and luxurious. Red plums, wild cherries, raspberries, crushed roses, and wet gravel are accented by aromas of iron, blood orange zest, rooibos tea, white truffle shavings, and sandalwood. On the palate, this wine has bright acidity and fine tannins with a long and delicious finish.
Acclaim: 96 points (Jeb Dunnuck), 96 points (International Wine Report)
Delicious with: salty cheeses, olives, pork chops
100% Pinot Noir
13.4% alcohol
Geek out:
Aged 14 months in 100% French Oak (28% new oak)
Featured clones: Pommard, Wädenswil
5-day cold soak
14-day fermentation
20% whole cluster
pH: 3.60
Unfined and Unfiltered
Vineyard Facts:
La Belle Promenade Vineyard:
*Clones: Pommard, Wädenswil, and 4407 planted in 2012
*Organic farming practices
*Chehalem Mountains AVA
*Soil: Jory and Nekia (volcanic)
*Elevation: 820 ft
(qty. 2) 2023 Syrah, Stoney Vine Vineyard, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Walla Walla Valley
*$65 / $55 (Friends & Family)
I've really loved making Syrah from Les Collines Vineyard since 2017, and starting in 2020, I wanted to add a second complimentary Syrah from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. I've really enjoyed the unique savory and stoney characteristics from other winemakers' wines from "The Rocks," and in 2020 I wanted to take a crack at making one myself.
The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is a very small AVA that is nested within the Walla Valley AVA, but resides on the Oregon side of the border. The vines are literally planted on the dried up cobblestone bed of the Walla Walla River. The vines have to work very hard here, and the resulting wines are incredibly unique - they have a velvety texture with more savory tones like olives and stones. It's so much fun to compare this wine side by side with the Les Collines Syrah as they are so different - Syrah is very terroir driven, just like Pinot Noir is!
With this wine, I fermented the grapes with 66% whole clusters to push the texture, spice, and savory tones, and I aged the wine in neutral French Oak barrels (0% new oak), as I believe that new oak tends to mask the unique terroir of Rocks Syrah. I really love this wine – it’s low in alcohol and light on its feet, yet complex, elegant, and velvety with the layered and savory aromatics… really hope you enjoy it!
Tasting Notes:
Savory and unique! Aromas of black plum, blueberry, stones, olive tapenade, and mandarin orange rind, are accented by scents of coriander, white pepper, and sea salt. On the palate, this wine is velvety soft with a nice balance of acidity and tannins that carry a gratifying finish.
Delicious with: English cheddar, olives, pork
100% Syrah
13.5% alcohol
Geek out:
Aged 24 months in 100% French Oak (0% new oak)
Featured Clones: Shiraz 07
5-day cold soak
18-day fermentation
66% Whole Cluster fermentation
pH: 3.72
Unfined and unfiltered
Vineyard Facts:
Stoney Vine Vineyard:
The land is formed by the ancient bed of the Walla Walla River
The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA nested on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA
Soil: Freewater Very Cobbly Loam
Syrah planted in 2007
Elevation: 850 feet
