LONESOME ROCK CELLARS
A Willamette Valley Winery Specializing in Single-Vineyard, Estate-Grown Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Carlton, Oregon
Visits to Lonesome Rock are private, owner-led, and offered by appointment at our vineyard tasting house in Carlton, Oregon. Each tasting is an unhurried exploration of the wines and the vineyard that shapes them, guided personally by the people behind the farming and winemaking.
Our wines are estate-grown, with a focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay defined by elevation, volcanic soils, and coastal influence. Production is intentionally limited, allowing each vintage to reflect both the season and the character of the site.
Lonesome Rock is the result of a long pursuit—one defined less by speed than by patience. After years of searching, Danny and Susan Klieman chose this monopole hillside west of Carlton for its exposure, its climate, and the way it allows them to make the kind of wines they love: fragrant and layered, generous without weight, and carried by a bright, natural line of acidity.
Set at the extreme northwestern edge of the Willamette Valley, Lonesome Rock Cellars is a singular, organically farmed estate vineyard in the rugged hills west of Carlton, Oregon. Sitting high above the valley floor, the site is defined by fractured volcanic soils, steady coastal winds, and a long growing season that shapes fruit of clarity and tension. Farming decisions are guided by the vineyard itself, with an emphasis on balance, resilience, and longevity.
Sustainability isn’t an add-on — it’s how we care for the land we call home. Certified LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology), our vineyard practices prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and balanced ecosystems. From cover crops to insectaries, water-smart decisions to minimal-input farming, each choice reflects our commitment to vineyard resilience, environmental balance, and long-term quality.
The Essence of Lonesome Rock
We farm intentionally to grow fruit that yields wines of aromatic depth, vibrant energy, and distinctive minerality—each expressive of the unique character of our remote hillside estate in the extreme northwest Willamette Valley.
Energy in Every Vintage
Defined by brightness and tension, Lonesome Rock wines carry a natural vitality that gives both immediacy and longevity. The interplay between ripeness and acidity gives length, balance, and a quiet power that invites both early drinking and extended cellaring.
Aromatics That Speak of Place
Our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay carry a distinctive perfume born of elevation, volcanic soils, and slow ripening. The wines open with lifted, layered scents—floral, fruited, and spiced—that evolve gracefully in the glass, revealing the depth of our hillside estate.
The Signature of Minerality
Fractured basalt and ancient volcanic stones form the backbone of our vineyard. Their influence is subtle yet unmistakable: a textural finesse and mineral line that runs through each vintage—a hallmark of the estate.
Life at Lonesome Rock
Why the Willamette Valley Excels with Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
The Willamette Valley’s reputation for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is rooted in a rare convergence of latitude, climate, and soils. Located near the 45th parallel—mirroring Burgundy—the region experiences a long, temperate growing season that allows fruit to ripen slowly while preserving natural acidity.
Cooling Pacific breezes funnel inland, moderating summer heat and extending hang time. Combined with diverse volcanic and sedimentary soils, these conditions yield wines defined by balance, aromatic nuance, and precision rather than excess.
At Lonesome Rock, our position at the extreme northwestern edge of the valley heightens these influences, shaping wines with lifted aromatics, clarity of fruit, and a distinctly mineral-driven structure.