Broadley Vineyards
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Broadley Vineyards is a second generation family owned vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley. The winery is located in the town of Monroe. The focus at Broadley Vineyards is on producing quality Pinot Noir wines.
Upon arriving at Broadley Vineyards winery in Monroe, Oregon we quickly met Morgan and Jessica Broadley the second generation owners of the winery and vineyards. They graciously offered small cheese bites to enjoy with our wine tasting.
The wine tasting was setup on a long table amid the numerous oak tanks. The ambiance of tasting wine amid oak tanks and barrels was delightful.
We soon discovered Morgan’s parents, Craig and Claudia Broadley established the vineyards and winery in 1981. At the time Morgan was 11 years old and helped his parents plant the vineyard. Morgan commented that Craig and Claudia had other employment which helped pay the bills. The first vintage for Broadley Vineyards was 1986, Broadley Reserve.
According to Morgan, his parents were interested in the wine industry while living in California but the California wine regions were expensive so they decided to look at Oregon’s wine industry.
In 1993 Craig and Claudia traveled to Burgundy where they visited wineries. When they returned to Oregon, they purchased many new French oak barrels. The following year the 1994 Claudia’s Choice was a 94 point wine. Since then some of their wines are being produced as single vineyard wines.
When we asked Morgan (pictured right with Jessica) how he learned his winemaking skills, he smiled and replied that he is a “home schooled winemaker.”
Each year Broadley Vineyards offers the opportunity for wine enthusiasts to purchase futures. In 2018 wine lovers were given information about five different wines. The information they were given to help make a decision included: location and age of the vineyard, soil type, root stock, expected release date and length of time.
The winery in Monroe is located in a single story building close to Long Tom River, and once was used as a Pontiac dealership. The brick building with plate glass windows has a press pad on the left side, close to the parking area. The Broadleys renovated the auto building to function as a winery. Wine tastings take place in the winery. It should be noted that the winery is open for tastings May, June, July and August. During the cooler months of the year, September thru April, the winery is open only by appointment.
The Broadley estate vineyard is located three miles from the winery. The vineyard is on a steep incline. Sustainable practices in the vineyard include the use of sheep for keeping the grass and weeds down. They also use organic material in the vineyard. The vineyard consists of clay soil that drains well. The vineyard is dry farmed. Grapes are harvested by hand. Currently the vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir and in the spring of 2020 the Broadleys have plans to plant Gamay Noir.
The Wines
Currently Broadley Vineyards is a 5,000 case winery. In addition to producing wines with their own estate grown grapes, the Broadleys also source 30 tons of grapes.
The Chardonnay 2018 Willamette Valley AVA grapes were sourced from Maverick Vineyard. Morgan noted that the grapes had been harvested at 21.9 Brix, a bit early but it worked. The wine had 13.5% alcohol. This chardonnay was produced with neutral oak. The wine was a light yellow color. The aroma was of apple and pear. The taste was velvety with notes of apple and pear and a very faint oak. The finish was crisp and fruity.
The Claudia’s Choice Pinot Noir 2017 Willamette Valley AVA had 13.7% alcohol. The wine was a dark red color with a dark pink hue. The aromas and taste were of raspberries. The taste also included a very faint spice and soft mouthfeel. The medium/full-bodied wine had mild tannins. The finish was fruity with some cloves. The wine was produced with 50% whole cluster grapes. This wine was named after Morgan’s mother.
The Jessica Pinot Noir 2017 Willamette Valley AVA was 13.7% alcohol. The wine was a dark ruby color with a dark pink hue. The aroma reminded one of raspberries, The taste included notes of raspberries with some cloves. The wine had a silky mouthfeel with a medium/full body. The wine offered medium/bold tannins.
Estate Pinot Noir 2018 Willamette Valley AVA had 13.9% alcohol. The wine was a dark ruby color. The aroma was of raspberries. The taste had raspberries with a hint of cranberries. The full-bodied wine offered medium/bold tannins. The finish was crisp and very fruit forward.
Broadley Wine Clubs
Broadley offers three types of wine club memberships. The Morgan’s Punch Down Club members receive three bottles of wine each month. At the end of each quarter, members of Morgan’s Punch Down x12 receive 12 bottles. The third option is the Family Wine Club which entitles members to receive two special shipments that includes bottles of each special release.
Currently Broadley Vineyards ships wine to 13 states and five countries. The winery is located in a quiet urban area. Wine enthusiasts can visit and taste some of the wines during the summer months and should make appointments during the rest of the year.
Broadley Vineyards
265 S. 5th Street
Monroe, Oregon 97456
GPS: N44º 18.8848’ W123º 17.8094’
Article written November 2019.
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