Heather Hill Estate, Walla Walla, Abeja Winery & Inn

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Visitors and guests of The Inn at Abeja are welcome to sample renowned Abeja wines by appointment.
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Abeja's history is as unique as The Inn's guest accommodations and as rich and varied as the wines produced here.

Walla Walla Estate-Grown Wine

Since its founding, Abeja has embraced estate-grown winemaking, recognizing that farming our own vineyards strengthens our ability to craft wines of consistent style and exceptional quality. Planted in 2001, Heather Hill Vineyard plays an important role in shaping the character of Abeja’s wines. Vineyard-designate bottlings from this exceptional site are produced in limited quantities, with priority access offered to Abeja’s Standing Order members.

Planting & Proximity

Before Abeja found its home on Mill Creek, there was Heather Hill. Founders Ken and Ginger Harrison purchased the farmland in 2000 and named the vineyard for their daughter Heather. The original planting consisted of 14.8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon (clone 8), along with smaller blocks of Cabernet Franc (0.92 acres, clone 1) and Merlot (1.58 acres, clone 3), all on their own rootstock. Additional plantings in 2022 expanded the total vineyard size to 19 acres.

Heather Hill is located on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley, along its southwestern edge within the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Situated just beyond the cobbled soils that define The Rocks District AVA, the vineyard occupies a distinctive corner of the valley long recognized for its suitability to orchards and vineyards, first planted here in the late 1800s.

Climate, Soils & Topography

Heather Hill benefits from the region’s continental climate. Warm, dry summer days are balanced by cool nighttime temperatures that help preserve acidity and aromatic complexity.The vineyard sits just beyond the Walla Walla River’s alluvial fan. Ellisforde and Sagemoor soils dominate the site, relatively young deposits formed from wind-blown material and sediments left behind by glacial meltwater floods that shaped the upper valley terraces. Notable for its diverse topography, Heather Hill rises to elevations of 850 to 990 feet and is comprised of three distinct sites. Vines are planted on a north-facing slope, a northwest-facing slope, and a flat terrace, yielding subtle variations in ripening and flavor development.

Sustainable vineyard practices include working with a local falconer who brings a trained bird to the vineyard during the fall ripening season. For ten hours each day, the bird patrols Heather Hill and neighboring vines, helping protect the crop from hungry flocks.

The Vineyard in the Glass

The varied slopes and elevations of Heather Hill create differences in ripening across the vineyard, providing our winemakers with a broad range of fruit that contributes complementary aromas, flavors, and structure at the blending table. And because the site enjoys a slightly longer growing season than other areas of the Walla Walla Valley, grapes mature slowly, enhancing natural acidity. The resulting wines are fresh, balanced, and supported by fine tannins.

Heather Hill Cabernet Sauvignon typically reveals layers of dark berries and black cherry, accented by notes of sage, earth, and mineral complexity. These qualities have made Heather Hill an essential component of Abeja’s Cabernet Sauvignon program and the inspiration for a vineyard-designate Heather Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, produced in limited quantities with priority access for Abeja’s Standing Order members.