X NOVO VINEYARD

GROWERS | THE WILLIAMS FAMILY

EOLA-AMITY HILLS AVA
FARMED ORGANIC

After decades of crafting some of California’s most iconic wines, esteemed vintner Craig Williams and his family turned their attention to Oregon, purchasing two remarkable east-facing sites in the Eola-Amity Hills in 2010. These vineyards, X Novo and X Omni, quickly became recognized among the region’s finest, planted with an exceptional diversity of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones. In 2018, the Williams family expanded their holdings with an additional 40-acre site adjacent to X Novo, originally planted to Riesling in 2005 by renowned Australian winemaker Brian Croser. They grafted the established vines over to Aligoté and Chardonnay, integrating the site into what is now X Novo Vineyard.

X Novo is distinguished by its complex clonal diversity, featuring over 20 clones of Chardonnay densely spaced within the 2-acre block. Perched on the edge of Holmes Gap in Spring Valley, this site is exposed to the powerful Van Duzer winds, which enhance acidity and structure. The vineyard’s exceptionally rocky Gelderman clay soils intensify the concentration and minerality in the wines. In 2021, the Williams family further expanded X Novo with an adjacent 20-acre plot, incorporating older vines and newly planted blocks. Walter Scott sources the entirety of the original plantings, harvesting and co-fermenting them to capture the full expression of this extraordinary vineyard.