If you’ve been a Daily Discovery reader for longer than a year today’s feature should seem like an old friend, returned from a long journey, whom you are delighted to see. That’s because the Pinot Noirs made by Brad McLeroy under his label Ayres are among our most consistent best sellers of all time. If you’re a recent subscriber let me tell you why: Brad crafts some of the most engaging, elevated, and complex expressions of Willamette Valley terroir out there. And somehow he manages to do that at prices that are far below those of his peers and neighbors. The Ribbon Ridge “Perspective” was $30 five years ago, and it is $30 still today. It seems completely illogical (zero inflation here!), but ours is not to question, just to enjoy. That’s why we’ve offered this wine for so many vintages, and it’s also why you should grab as much as you can!
Unlike the other sub-appellations of the Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge is a distinguished geological formation of uniform soils—a unique seabed uplift from the northwest peak of the Chehalem Mountains. It’s not the coolest place in the Willamette, nor is it the warmest, but hangs its hat on being one of the driest, with a long consistent growing season less susceptible to temperature spikes and uneven ripening. And with Pinot Noir, the less climatic twists and turns, the better.
After several years making wine under the brilliant wing of Veronique Drouhin (Domaine Drouhin) in the heart of the Dundee Hills, Brad McLeroy started out with just a few acres and has since built it to 20, mostly east-facing vines on ancient Willakenzie sediments. The McLeroys are the fortunate gatekeepers of their land. They farm their own vines, they make the wines on-site, and they live there—it doesn’t get more “artisanal” than that. No herbicides or pesticides have ever been used at the Ayres farm. All the vineyards are dry-farmed implementing organic practices, and the estate has been certified sustainable since 2007.
“Perspective” is a blend of Ayres’ original estate vineyard, as well as the Armstrong vineyard, both are Ribbon Ridge sites. All hand-harvested fruit for this cuvée fermented with natural yeasts, with a small portion of whole-cluster fruit to enliven texture and add complexity in the finished wine. Before bottling, the wine spent just under one year in French oak, 15% new.
All this means dark-fruited, plush Pinot Noir that’s worlds away from being thick and extracted. Theirs is a Burgundian style that is remarkably light-handed. So, I recommend that you choose a Burgundy stem and pull the wine from a very cool cellar temperature (55F). After a quick 15-30-minute decant, the wine will warm slightly and its stunning aromas will unfurl. High-toned notes of fresh violets and crushed rose petals fill the immediate air, followed by ripe black cherry, wild raspberries, and a wonderful mix of black and red plums. Tea leaves, crushed stone, herbs, forest floor, and subtle baking spices also waft by with an elegant stride. On the palate, Ayres’ 2023 “Perspective” separates itself from the masses: Medium, silky-smooth tannins and lifted acidity are the essential framework but its the vibrant fruit and Ribbon Ridge minerality that serve as the enticing decorations. It’s an absolute joy to drink now, but these wines are no slouches in the aging department—should you want to track its evolution, you can expect 5-8 years of perfect cellaring. Enjoy this remarkable value!
