They may fly under the radar, their bottles may be rare on hip Insta profiles or splashy wine lists, but ask anyone who really knows the Willamette Valley, and they'll tell you: Shea Vineyards is first among equals. This property is a treasured site in Oregon Pinot, as it's the fruit source for some of the region’s most iconic wines. Indeed, The Wine Bible author Karen MacNeil calls it “a vineyard that, were this Burgundy centuries ago, would have probably been deemed Grand Cru.”

Dick Shea was a Wall Street guy who saw the light in 1989. He planted 155 acres in the northern Yamhill-Carlton District and became the Willamette Valley's most sought-after grape source. The client list reads like a who's who of Oregon royalty—every bottle with Shea fruit commands a premium because somms and retailers and collectors know what that name means.

The estate sits on sedimentary soils with perfect hillside drainage. Shea and his team know every aspect of their vineyard intimately. Their vineyard manager, Jesus Marin, has been tending these vines since 1994. 

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• Grand Cru Pedigree, Village Prices: Karen MacNeil calls it Grand Cru. America’s greatest Pinot Noir producers vineyard-designate it for $50 and up. But we’ve got Dick Shea’s own cuvée of his best vines for much less than that.
  

• The Best Price in America on 6: At $39 on six bottles, this is the lowest price nationwide.
  

• Taste of the Soil: With that touch of stem inclusion and a few years of bottle age, this has developed the iron-and-roses complexity of great aged Oregon Pinot and Burgundy, thanks to this prime sedimentary hillside terroir. It’s truly a remarkable bargain in American Pinot.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• 58-60°F in Burgundy stems. Decant for 20 minutes if drinking now—it opens beautifully with air.
  

• Perfect paired with duck breast, or grilled salmon with pinot noir reduction. 
  

• Drink now through 2032. This has the structure to evolve magnificently.