Today we share the boutique wines of the Royer Vineyard and proprietors June and Mark Royer. Mark has worked recently as an importer of Champagne and Burgundy. June Royer also has worked in the importing business, importing teas from Taiwan and China.
I have enjoyed wineries that have crafted their wines from this site — particularly those made by Cristom. Meeting with Mark Royer, he explained some of the background on the vineyard. The vineyard land was planted to focus on white wine, primarily Chardonnay. He stated “Pinot wasn’t part of the game. We started meeting with the nurseries and vineyard management companies. Started planting in 2016 and continued the next three years. Now we have 13 acres of Chardonnay, two acres of Riesling and then we have one acre of Sauvignon Blanc. That will give us three varieties.”
Mark and June started working with Cristom in the 2020 vintage. He stated “Daniel was just getting started with his Chardonnay project there. ’21 was when they did the first single vineyard wine.” The Royer Vineyard is a relatively high elevation site that sits on the west side of a ridge. He stated “We are straight across from the Van Duzer Corridor and we have a major impact from the wind and we have small berries and thick skins which keeps the grapes more healthy and reduces mildew pressure and insect pressure. We are able to farm organically fairly easily and we don’t experience mildew where a lot of other places do.” The site is set on all volcanic soils but Royer feels that the site produces wine with “A great salinity.”
Regarding his Cru Chardonnay, his Witzel & Wind Block Chardonnay, “That is from the shallow, rocky soils and you are getting into bedrock really quick and that site is really unique. The cool thing about this block is it is a mix of a range of clones, we have nine clones now. Mixed on seven different rootstocks.” He will now have several different Chardonnay SKUs.
The Riesling is located right next to the Chardonnay plantings, set on rocky soils. He stated “There is a drew up the middle of the vineyard and that is where a lot of oak trees hang out. Riesling is on both sides of the draw. Super rocky site and you are picking up fragmented pieces of basalt and the clones that I chose to my knowledge there is only one person that has two of the four that I have. Fun playing with clones that are not typical. Oregon tends to use the 110 clone but for me it has a bit of Muscat flavor, very floral. Which is not what I want.” For his Riesling he keeps the residual sugar very low. Check out the 2022 Royer ‘Witzel & Wind’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which is a dense and nervy wine with sensational character and oxidative notes. Learn more at royervineyard.com and here are my reviews from the new Royer Vineyard wines.
2022 Royer ‘Royer Vineyard’ Riesling- The 2022 ‘Royer Vineyard’ Riesling comes from vines set on Witzel, Ritner and Nekia soils. This is beautifully-textured stuff that is done in the Kabinett style. Juicy pear and cashew nut fill the palate alongside green papaya, mango and stony minerals. Refined and elegant, with good tension, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2033- 93
2023 Royer ‘Royer Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2023 ‘Royer Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from vines planted in volcanic basalt soils. The palate is dense and silky smooth throughout the drinking experience. Soft on the mouth, stony minerals combine with rich Japanese pear, lemon blossom water and salted macadamia nut flavors. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2033- 93
2022 Royer ‘Royer Vineyard Witzel & Wind Block’ Chardonnay- The world-class 2022 Royer ‘Royer Vineyard Witzel & Wind Block’ Chardonnay come from this very windy side of the Royer Vineyard, set on Witzel soils. This is marvelously complex stuff, offering peach and rocky soil character on the palate, with a smooth texture and beautiful push-pull of concentration and underlying tension. Full-bodied and complex, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2025-2040- 95