2023 Blanc De Noirs | "Thud" | Tualatin Hills AVA

In 1955 the F-105 Thunderchief, aptly nicknamed “Thud”, was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history. With a capacity larger than most WWII bombers, it was the workhorse of OP Rolling Thunder. This operation embodied the conundrum of Vietnam with bureaucracy & corporate interests restricting command from targeting vital objectives over N. Vietnam. Limited to bombing bridges and logistics, pilots ran a gauntlet along “Thud Ridge” with strict orders not to engage the enemy. Because of this, the Thud became the only U.S. aircraft to be removed from combat due to losses. This forced a cultural change within the fighter community; which independently created Ex. Red Flag and pushed command to supplement the F-15 with the F-16. Winemaking notes: Hand picked Pinot Noir from La Dolce Vita vineyard, nestled in the coast range of the Tualatin Hills AVA. Vines grown on a gently sloping SE facing aspect with rich Laurelwood soils deposited by the Missoula Floods 12,000