Producer Article
Torii Mor
Last edited on 2/20/2012 by Eric
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Torii Mor Winery was founded in 1993 by Donald Olson, MD, who remains the owner to this day with his wife, Margie. The winery was initially a small project that was intended to showcase the fruit from his vineyard. //Olson Estate Vineyard//, formerly //McDaniel Vineyard//, is located in the Dundee Hills AVA. The now organically farmed vineyard was planted in 1972 and is one of the oldest vineyards in Yamhill County.
Since its modest beginnings in 1993 with just over 1,000 cases, Torii Mor has blossomed into a small, super-premium winery that focuses on small lots of handcrafted, vineyard-designated Pinot Noir. Current harvest levels range between 14,000 and 17,000 cases depending on the vintage. The focus at the winery is devoted to the production of Pinot Noir beginning in the vineyards with careful, attentive management to achieve mouth-watering, truly physiologically ripe fruit and continuing in the cellar with small lots, minimal handling, and native yeast fermentation to express each unique site in a classic “Burgundian” way.
Torii Mor currently obtains fruit from over ten carefully chosen vineyards. Our wine making team ensures that the vineyards will produce the highest quality fruit with strong emphasis on low tonnages and low-input farming practices for natural plant balance. This dedication to quality has resulted in the production of vineyard-designated wines to complement our well known Oregon production that remains the flagship of Torii Mor.
And now about the name: TORII MOR was chosen by the founder as he felt it conjured a feeling of unique elegance. Borrowing from the Japanese, the word “torii” refers to the ornate gates often seen at the entrances to Japanese gardens. “Mor” is a word in ancient Scandinavian that means “earth.” By integrating these two distinct languages, the romantic image of a gate to the earth space or passageway to beautiful things is formed. We believe that Pinot Noir, more than any other varietal, is that beautiful gateway to the earth.
Jacques Tardy, winemaker at Torii Mor winery, Dundee, Oregon
Jacques is a native of Nuits Saint Georges, in Burgundy, France. Jacques grew up in a family which has been heavily involved in the French wine industry for five generations, both in wine making and vineyard management. Jacques was educated at the Lycee Agricole and Viticole of Beaune, earning a degree in 1974 in Viticulture and Enology. After Jacques completed a year of mandatory military service, he returned home, leased vineyards and made his first wine under his own Jacques Tardy label in 1976.
After several years of making wine in France, Jacques moved to California in 1982 to work at the J. Lohr Winery in San Jose, California. Jacques started first in the cellar and was promoted quickly to Cellar Master, a position he held for more than five years.
With the desire to make quality Pinot Noir, Jacques and his family moved to Oregon in 1990 to explore job opportunities. Jacques started as Co-Winemaker at Montinore Vineyards, in Forest Grove, Oregon, and was promoted to Winemaker in 1992. In 1998 Jacques added to his winemaking duties the management of the 240 acre vineyard after the vineyard manager left the company, a position he held until fall 2004 when he took over the as winemaker at Torii Mor winery in Dundee. The quality red and white wines that Jacques has produced since 1990 have earned several gold medals and other awards of distinction. While at Torii Mor, Jacques has crafted his signature “Deux Verres” burgundian style wine, as well as furthering new world Oregon style “terroir” high quality wines.
Torii Mor Winery was founded in 1993 by Donald Olson, MD, who remains the owner to this day with his wife, Margie. The winery was initially a small project that was intended to showcase the fruit from his vineyard. //Olson Estate Vineyard//, formerly //McDaniel Vineyard//, is located in the Dundee Hills AVA. The now organically farmed vineyard was planted in 1972 and is one of the oldest vineyards in Yamhill County.
Since its modest beginnings in 1993 with just over 1,000 cases, Torii Mor has blossomed into a small, super-premium winery that focuses on small lots of handcrafted, vineyard-designated Pinot Noir. Current harvest levels range between 14,000 and 17,000 cases depending on the vintage. The focus at the winery is devoted to the production of Pinot Noir beginning in the vineyards with careful, attentive management to achieve mouth-watering, truly physiologically ripe fruit and continuing in the cellar with small lots, minimal handling, and native yeast fermentation to express each unique site in a classic “Burgundian” way.
Torii Mor currently obtains fruit from over ten carefully chosen vineyards. Our wine making team ensures that the vineyards will produce the highest quality fruit with strong emphasis on low tonnages and low-input farming practices for natural plant balance. This dedication to quality has resulted in the production of vineyard-designated wines to complement our well known Oregon production that remains the flagship of Torii Mor.
And now about the name: TORII MOR was chosen by the founder as he felt it conjured a feeling of unique elegance. Borrowing from the Japanese, the word “torii” refers to the ornate gates often seen at the entrances to Japanese gardens. “Mor” is a word in ancient Scandinavian that means “earth.” By integrating these two distinct languages, the romantic image of a gate to the earth space or passageway to beautiful things is formed. We believe that Pinot Noir, more than any other varietal, is that beautiful gateway to the earth.
Jacques Tardy, winemaker at Torii Mor winery, Dundee, Oregon
Jacques is a native of Nuits Saint Georges, in Burgundy, France. Jacques grew up in a family which has been heavily involved in the French wine industry for five generations, both in wine making and vineyard management. Jacques was educated at the Lycee Agricole and Viticole of Beaune, earning a degree in 1974 in Viticulture and Enology. After Jacques completed a year of mandatory military service, he returned home, leased vineyards and made his first wine under his own Jacques Tardy label in 1976.
After several years of making wine in France, Jacques moved to California in 1982 to work at the J. Lohr Winery in San Jose, California. Jacques started first in the cellar and was promoted quickly to Cellar Master, a position he held for more than five years.
With the desire to make quality Pinot Noir, Jacques and his family moved to Oregon in 1990 to explore job opportunities. Jacques started as Co-Winemaker at Montinore Vineyards, in Forest Grove, Oregon, and was promoted to Winemaker in 1992. In 1998 Jacques added to his winemaking duties the management of the 240 acre vineyard after the vineyard manager left the company, a position he held until fall 2004 when he took over the as winemaker at Torii Mor winery in Dundee. The quality red and white wines that Jacques has produced since 1990 have earned several gold medals and other awards of distinction. While at Torii Mor, Jacques has crafted his signature “Deux Verres” burgundian style wine, as well as furthering new world Oregon style “terroir” high quality wines.