Ojo Brilloso… It starts with our people.
What is Ojo Brilloso?
That’s a question our Viticulturist Geoff Hall found himself asking when he joined our team in 2017. As he began learning about our estate vineyards and the talented 25 person in-house vineyard team that farms them, Geoff would often hear the team say ‘Ojo Brilloso’ (ō-hō bree-ō´-sō), which translates to ‘shiny eye’ or, loosely, ‘nice observation.’ Geoff quickly realized that it was these ‘nice observations’ made by people who were inspired and had intimate knowledge of each block of our vineyards that are truly the building blocks of Argyle’s success, and the program is now carried on by Vineyard Manager Erica Miller.
Now in its third year, Argyle’s Ojo Brilloso wine program proudly shines a spotlight on the extraordinary Vineyard Supervisors who play a vital role in our winemaking process. We challenged these talented individuals to each handpick a small, exquisite Pinot Noir block from their vineyards. We sought to capture the essence of their deep-rooted connection to the land and their unwavering pride in their craft through the creation of distinct wines. Each bottle tells a story of devotion, expertise, and the harmonious interplay between terroir and craftsmanship.
Francisco Ponce, Spirit Hill Vineyard
Francisco started at Argyle all the way back in 2004! He selected a parcel of Pommard clone Pinot Noir was the one of the last plantings at Spirit Hill Vineyard in 2014. Located in the southwest section of the vineyard and at 750 feet of elevation, this parcel sees consistent winds, but maintains a degree of elegance due to its deep Jory soils. Sleek and spicy, this wine was fermented with 15% of its stems showing for layered structure, dark cherry, blood orange, and savory length.
Hector Cabrera, Lone Star Vineyard
Hector has been with Argyle since 2012. He chose a parcel of Clone 2A Pinot Noir that was planted in 2002 and sits in the South facing ‘panhandle’ of Lone Star Vineyard at an elevation of 325 feet. This block’s tiny clusters were cultivated by Hector to ensure that they were perfectly open and spaced, allowing them to soak up all of the early morning Cascade sunshine.
Artwork by Eduardo Soto
The original artwork featured on the labels was created by Eduardo Soto, one of the 2020 Argyle Art of Sparkling scholarship recipients. Eduardo is deeply influenced by the artwork of the Mexican Muralist Movement.
Spirit Hill, Knudsen, and Lone Star Vineyards are portrayed in Winter, Harvest and Spring seasons. Throughout these rolling hills there are many differences within the soil, sunlight, and humidity which can present themselves to the workers of this land. The communication between the workers and the earth is crucial to the practice of growing wine, an ability that is gained through wisdom and experience.
“These blocks are my favorites. They are on a piece of land on a hill. It is a beautiful landscape. The plants are all different, but the berries and clusters are almost identical. We are able to observe the different branches, but the same fruit. I get goosebumps every time I see it. The Ojo Brilloso project is a way of reaching people and letting them know a little about our team.”
Hector Cabrera
For Our Community
Contributions from the Ojo Brilloso program are being made to ¡Salud!, AHIVOY and The Roots Fund. In addition, Argyle will be working with Executive Directors of the AHIVOY and The Roots Fund organizations to identify opportunities for qualified participants to have access to Argyle programs and people with the underlying objective of creating more opportunity for people of color in the wine industry.
2021 Ojo Brilloso Pinot Noir now available!
The 2021 vintage in Oregon added its unique character to this collection, showcasing the region’s elegance and complexity. Explore the Ojo Brilloso wines and experience Oregon’s winemaking heritage at its finest.