Evening Land Vineyards

Evening Land Vineyards was founded in 2005 by film producer and director Mark Tarlov, whose investor group included restaurateur Danny Meyer, the Prieur family of Domaine Jacques Prieur, and Dorothy Cann Hamilton of the French Culinary Institute. In 2007, Tarlov signed a 45-year lease on Seven Springs Vineyard and engineered the reunion of two parcels — Seven Springs and the adjacent Anden Vineyard — that had been separated by a family dispute. That same year, Burgundian legend Dominique Lafon joined as consulting winemaker, the first US project of his career, working closely with Oregon-based winemaker Isabelle Meunier. Tarlov left in January 2012, and the board, chaired by Texas venture capitalist Steven Webster, hired Greg Ralston as CEO. In 2014, Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr became minority partners and took over full operational control, shifting the winery to a strict parcel-specific philosophy. In 2021, Evening Land began the process of purchasing Seven Springs outright from the MacDonald family. In 2025, Parr and Moorman parted ways over creative differences; Moorman continues to lead the winery, with ownership remaining with Steven Webster.

• Founded 2005 by Mark Tarlov; original investor group included Danny Meyer and the Prieur family of Domaine Jacques Prieur
• Dominique Lafon joined as consulting winemaker in 2007 (his first US project); Isabelle Meunier served as Oregon winemaker through 2014
• Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parr took over operations in 2014 as minority partners; winery ownership rests with Texas venture capitalist Steven Webster
• In 2021, Evening Land began purchasing Seven Springs from the MacDonald family; Parr and Moorman parted ways in 2025, with Moorman continuing as winemaker

Seven Springs is the sole source of all Evening Land wines. Planted in 1984 by Oregon pioneer Al MacDonald, the vineyard covers 85 acres of east-facing slopes in the Eola-Amity Hills, sitting atop iron-rich, rocky volcanic soils. Its eastern exposure delivers warm morning sun while the vineyard's position opposite the Van Duzer Corridor allows Pacific cooling winds to flood in each afternoon, moderating temperatures and preserving natural acidity. The vineyard has been dry-farmed since its inception and was converted to biodynamic viticulture in 2007. It holds both LIVE certification for sustainable winegrowing and biodynamic certification. The oldest own-rooted blocks of Pinot Noir and Gamay date to the original 1984 planting. Decanter has dubbed the site a touchstone for Oregon Chardonnay, and Food and Wine named it one of the Top 10 Vineyards in America.

• 85 acres total; planted 1984 by Al MacDonald; east-facing slopes in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA on volcanic Jory-type soils
• Dry-farmed since inception; biodynamic viticulture since 2007; LIVE certified for sustainable winegrowing
• Van Duzer Corridor delivers Pacific cooling winds each afternoon, slowing ripening and preserving acidity
• Named one of the Top 10 Vineyards in America by Food and Wine; described by Decanter as a touchstone for Oregon Chardonnay

When Moorman and Parr took over in 2014, they moved away from the blended cuvée approach of the Lafon era toward strict parcel-specific wines that are faithful to individual blocks of Seven Springs. The winery practices minimal-intervention winemaking: indigenous yeast fermentation, whole-cluster inclusion (typically 20-40% depending on cuvée), aging in French oak with varying proportions of new wood by bottling, and no fining or filtering. An infusion fermentation method is employed for Pinot Noir, using no pump-overs or punch-downs to avoid over-extraction. Gamay is also produced alongside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Concrete fermenters are used alongside traditional oak vessels. The ethos, as stated by the winery, is that nothing is added and nothing is taken away.

• Parcel-specific bottlings replaced blended cuvées after 2014; La Source and Summum each come from defined rows within Seven Springs
• Indigenous yeast fermentation; infusion method for Pinot Noir (no pump-overs or punch-downs); whole-cluster inclusion 20-40% by cuvée
• No fining or filtering across the range; concrete fermenters used alongside French oak barrels
• Three varieties produced: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay, all from the Seven Springs estate

The Evening Land range is structured around tiers of Seven Springs expression. The estate-level Seven Springs Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay Noir are the most approachable bottlings. La Source Pinot Noir comes from the top of the vineyard where western sun and wind are most intense, and La Source Chardonnay from 14 rows originally converted from Pinot Noir by Mark Vlossak (St. Innocent) and the MacDonald family. Summum is the winery's pinnacle cuvée, existing as both a Chardonnay from 14 specific rows on the upper slope and an ultra-rare Pinot Noir made only in exceptional vintages. The 2012 La Source Pinot Noir received 98 points from Wine Spectator and was named the publication's No. 3 wine of 2015 — the highest score ever awarded to an Oregon Pinot Noir. Recent vintages of La Source and Summum have continued to earn 95-97 point scores from Wine Spectator, Decanter, and Vinous.

• 2012 La Source Pinot Noir: 98 points, Wine Spectator No. 3 wine of 2015 — highest score ever for an Oregon Pinot Noir
• La Source Pinot Noir comes from the top of Seven Springs; La Source and Summum Chardonnay from 14 specific converted rows identified by Dominique Lafon
• Summum Pinot Noir is an ultra-rare cuvée made only in exceptional vintages; Summum Chardonnay is produced annually from the vineyard's upper midslope
• Recent La Source vintages scoring 96-97 points from Wine Spectator and Decanter, confirming consistent critical standing

Evening Land's commitment to a single estate and a Burgundian minimal-intervention approach has made Seven Springs one of Oregon's most closely studied vineyard sites. Dominique Lafon's early involvement drew international attention to the region at a pivotal moment, and the 2012 La Source Pinot Noir's 98-point Wine Spectator score validated Oregon's capacity for world-class Pinot Noir at the highest critical level. The early adoption of biodynamic viticulture in 2007 placed the winery ahead of the regional curve on sustainability. Under Moorman and Parr's stewardship from 2014, the shift to parcel-specific wines influenced how Oregon producers thought about vineyard mapping and site expression. The winery also championed Oregon Chardonnay at a time when regional marketing focused almost exclusively on Pinot Noir.

• Dominique Lafon's 2007 involvement (his first US project) brought international Burgundian credibility to the Eola-Amity Hills
• 2012 La Source 98-point score established Seven Springs as a benchmark site for Oregon Pinot Noir at the global level
• Early biodynamic adopter (2007) and consistent LIVE certification influenced sustainable viticulture standards across the region
• Championed Oregon Chardonnay through the Summum and La Source Chardonnay program at a time of limited regional recognition for the variety

Evening Land wines reflect the cool-climate, east-facing character of Seven Springs with precision and restraint as defining qualities. The Seven Springs Pinot Noir displays Eola-Amity freshness: wild strawberry, raspberry, lavender, and rose petal aromatics with mineral underpinning and vibrant acidity. La Source Pinot Noir deepens the profile with forest floor, earth, tar, and stone fruit, showing greater concentration and structure suited to extended cellaring. The Summum Pinot Noir, made only in the greatest years, adds further density and aromatic complexity. Chardonnay bottlings emphasize precision over richness: stone fruit, Meyer lemon, Asian pear, and chalky minerality with restrained oak influence. Alcohol across the range typically sits well under 13.5% ABV, consistent with the cool-climate, dry-farmed site. Winemaker Sashi Moorman has noted that the vineyard rarely produces wines above 13 degrees of alcohol.

• Seven Springs Pinot Noir: wild strawberry, raspberry, lavender; vibrant acidity and fine tannins; approachable on release with cellaring potential
• La Source Pinot Noir: deeper profile of forest floor, earth, dark cherry, and mineral; structured for 8-12 years cellaring
• Chardonnay range: stone fruit, Meyer lemon, mineral salinity; restrained new oak; La Source and Summum from 14 converted rows on the slope
• Typical alcohol: well below 13.5% ABV across the range; consistent with dry-farmed, biodynamic, cool-climate viticulture