2024 Helios
Estate Seyval Blanc ∞ Chehalem Mountains AVA
28 cases produced. $38
The first and only planting of Seyval Blanc in the Willamette Valley (second in Oregon), Helios is named for Carl Nielsen’s “Helios Overture, Opus 18.” Grown in Bells Up’s vineyard, this hybrid wine grape is found mainly in the Midwest – our former home – and East Coast. Although unrelated to Sauvignon Blanc, Helios shares many similarities in flavor and texture. Fuller bodied, Helios is aged sur lie for six months to produce a creamy texture. No malolactic fermentation yields balanced acidity mingled with earthiness and tropical fruit characteristics.
The Vineyard
We are proud to have the Willamette Valley’s first planting of Seyval Blanc (and just the second in Oregon), a hybrid varietal with which winemaker Dave Specter had much success as an amateur in Cincinnati. It grows in a 0.75-acre block on the west side of our vineyard at approximately 500 feet elevation. The first of these vines were planted in spring 2015 with subsequent expansions in fall 2020 and fall 2021.
The Weather
After several years of extreme weather, the 2024 growing season brought a welcome return to normalcy for the Willamette Valley. A bitterly cold winter gave way to milder spring temperatures and a normal mid-April budbreak in the Bells Up Estate vineyard. Summer was again warmer and dryer than average, but without the extreme heat events of 2021 and 2023. That prompted a “by the book” end of September harvest for the Northern Willamette Valley, with brix and acids very close to ideal — giving the 2024 vintage compelling potential.
TECHNICAL NOTES