Evening Land Vineyards

Evening Land Vineyards was founded by Mark Tarlov, who assembled an early investor group and secured a long-term lease on Seven Springs Vineyard. In 2007, Burgundian legend Dominique Lafon joined as consulting winemaker, working closely with Oregon-based winemaker Isabelle Meunier. Tarlov left in January 2012. In 2014, Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman joined as partners and took over full operational control, shifting the winery to a strict parcel-specific philosophy. Parr remains the founding partner, proprietor, and winemaker; Moorman serves as managing partner. Winemaker John Faulkner joined the team and now leads day-to-day cellar work alongside Parr.

• Founded by Mark Tarlov; Tarlov departed January 2012; Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman joined as partners in 2014 and remain current proprietors
• Dominique Lafon joined as consulting winemaker in 2007; Isabelle Meunier served as Oregon winemaker
• Rajat Parr (founding partner, proprietor, and winemaker) and Sashi Moorman (managing partner) have led Evening Land since 2014; John Faulkner serves as winemaker
• Seven Springs Vineyard remains the sole estate source; biodynamic farming and LIVE certification continue under current proprietors Parr and Moorman

Seven Springs is the sole source of all Evening Land wines. Planted in 1984 by Oregon pioneer Al MacDonald, the vineyard occupies 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 Pinot Noir block is planted to Pommard clones; Gamay also dates to the vineyard's early plantings. Decanter has dubbed the site a touchstone for Oregon Chardonnay, and Food and Wine named it one of the Top 10 Vineyards in America.

• Planted by Al MacDonald; east-facing slopes in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA on volcanic soils; estate source of all Evening Land wines
• 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
• Core varieties are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay Noir, all from Seven Springs estate; additional bottlings include Chenin Blanc and blends

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 of old-vine Dijon clones within Seven Springs. Summum is the winery's pinnacle cuvée, existing as both a Chardonnay from the rocky top section of the 14-row band and a Pinot Noir from the oldest own-rooted Pommard block at Seven Springs.

• La Source Pinot Noir comes from the rocky, windy summit of Seven Springs; La Source Chardonnay from the lower half and Summum Chardonnay from the upper section of a 14-row band of old-vine Dijon clones
• Summum Pinot Noir comes from the oldest own-rooted Pommard block at Seven Springs; Summum Chardonnay is produced from the rocky top section of the 14-row Chardonnay band
• 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. 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 as consulting winemaker brought international Burgundian credibility to the Eola-Amity Hills
• 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