Torii Mor Winery

An estate winery in the Dundee Hills founded in 1993 by Dr. Donald Olson, a retired neurosurgeon and former neuroanatomy professor. The vineyard itself dates to 1972, planted by one of the first grape-growing families in the Dundee Hills with clones sourced from Oregon pioneers Dick Erath, David Lett, Charles Coury, and Jim Maresh. Olson purchased the property in the late 1980s, renamed it Olson Estate Vineyard, and sold fruit to Argyle before launching his own label.

The name combines the Japanese torii, the gate at the entrance to a garden, with mor, an ancient Scandinavian word for earth — together, a gateway to the earth, and a reference to Pinot Noir’s expression of terroir. Olson developed his interest in Japanese culture through a friendship with his landlord while living in Paris, and the property’s Japanese gardens reflect that.

The estate sits above 800 feet on deep red Jory soil, planted to Pommard, Upright, Wadenswil, Dijon 667, and Coury selection clones. Production has grown from 1,000 cases in the first vintage to roughly 10,000 annually. The Pinot Noir lineup includes a Dundee Hills Select, several vineyard-designate bottlings, and the Deux Verres Reserve, alongside Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Winemakers who have worked here include Patricia Green, Joe Dobbes, Ryan Harms, and Burgundian Jacques Tardy, an eighth-generation winemaker from Nuits-Saint-Georges; Jon Tomaselli, who joined as assistant winemaker in 2007, now leads production.

A gravity-flow winery with rooftop solar was built in 2007. The property holds LEED Gold certification, LIVE certification, and Oregon Certified Sustainable status.