Atticus Wine

Ximena Orrego was born in Peru and raised across Latin America; Guy Insley was born in Hong Kong, raised in France, served in the French army, and lived in Scotland and Argentina. They were in South Florida in corporate jobs, on track for a life of international postings, when they tasted a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir at a restaurant.

They came out for a vacation in October 2004. On a lark, they asked a realtor to show them some land. They bought it, planted the first vines in 2005, and moved here with two young children in 2007.

The name is Atticus Finch. Both had fallen for the character and agreed years earlier that if they ever had a vineyard, that’s what they’d call it — for integrity, craftsmanship, and respect.

Ximena took winemaking classes at Chemeketa and interned at Raptor Ridge under Scott Shull before making the debut Pinot Noir in 2008. She’s now marked twenty years, and the estate remains small: six acres under vine on a 50-acre property, under 1,000 cases.

The site is Yamhill-Carlton — ancient marine sediment, sandy, quick-draining, rocky, more than 50 million years old. They’ve unearthed rocks with shells still in them. Ximena says that geology gives the wines a savory, umami-like note at the core, with dark cherry and plum, texture-driven rather than acid-driven. The vineyard is dry-farmed, with canopy work adjusted by row direction — leaves pulled on the east side for airflow, more cover left on the west against afternoon sun.

The lineup reflects the scale. XO, named for her initials, is a barrel or two each vintage she can’t bear to blend away. The Atticus Vineyard Pinot Noir is the reserve, drawn from the seven or eight barrels with the most depth and longevity.

Tastings are private, hosted by Ximena at their home overlooking the vineyard, in the French manner — one of very few in the region that do it this way. Available in English or Spanish. She also founded Celebrating Hispanic Roots, an event launched in 2020.