2025 Joy *NEW RELEASE*
Estate Seyval Blanc Brut ∞ Chehalem Mountains AVA
37 cases produced. | $48
Joy is named for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, “Ode to Joy.” Grown in Bells Up’s vineyard, this hybrid wine grape is found mainly in the Midwest – our former home – and East Coast. It is also grown in England, where it is frequently produced as a sparkling wine. Joy is made the same way as our still Seyval Blanc, Helios – fermented to dry, then receiving a 6-month sur lie treatment to build body and character. To produce Joy, the wine is then lightly dosaged and carbonated.
The Vineyard
We are proud to have the Willamette Valley’s first and only 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
Following a relatively normal mid-April budbreak, the 2025 growing season continued the trend of warmer summers in the Willamette Valley. This resulted in a slightly earlier than normal harvest in mid-September. However, this vintage represents one of the rare times that flavor development and sugar/acid development occurred more or less in concert. As a result, the 2025 vintage shows an excellent balance of flavor and structure with moderate alcohol levels.
