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The Eyrie Vineyards, Pinot Noir

Other, United States 2015 (750mL)
$35.00
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The Eyrie Vineyards, Pinot Noir

It feels wrong to describe The Eyrie Vineyards as a dynasty, even though, technically, it is one. The wines, and the people, of Eyrie have too light a touch for such a grandiose word. Like his late father, David, Eyrie’s Jason Lett has chosen the hands-on, artisanal life of the vigneron over that of the brand- and/or empire-builder.
In the mid-1960s, David Lett effectively created a whole new category of fine wine when he planted Pinot Noir in Oregon’s Willamette Valley; in a relatively short period of time, this region has been recognized as one of the world’s greatest terroirs for the grape. That’s a pretty incredible patrimony to be entrusted with, but Jason has handled it with humor, humility, and, most important of all, the “light touch” he ascribes to the Pinot Noirs crafted by his father. When I look at Eyrie’s resolutely classic label, I know one thing for certain: What’s inside the bottle is Pinot Noir at its balanced, perfumed, high-energy best. Pinot Noir that is the epitome of finesse. Pinot Noir that has proved to be some of the most cellar-worthy wine from the grape outside of Burgundy. I have said repeatedly that the greatest price-to-quality Pinot Noirs on earth hail from Oregon, and this wine is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. For $35, this is one of the smartest buys on the market and age 15+ years without effort. Not to get too melodramatic about it, but this is essential wine—essential to one’s understanding of this grape, this place, and great wine in general.
Although the elder Lett (who passed away in 2008) began planting Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris in 1965, the first ‘commercial’ release of Eyrie Vineyards wine was 1970. The original estate vineyard, a 20-acre plot in the Dundee Hills, was so named for an “eyrie” (“nest”) of red-tailed hawks still living at the site. They’ve since added four other Dundee Hills sites to their collection—all with diverse elevations, aspects, and subtle variations on the basalt soil that characterizes the zone. Farming is certified organic and resolutely manual at every step in the process, and in the case of today’s Willamette Valley bottling, roughly 70% of the fruit hails from ‘estate’ vineyards; the remaining percentage is bought in from organically-managed sites, including the Tukwilla Vineyard (also Dundee Hills) and the Cattrall Brothers Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills).

As is typical of Eyrie wines, you wouldn’t guess that today’s ’15 was the product of “the warmest year in Oregon since record-keeping started more than a century ago.” Rather than ultra-ripe and rich, this is sleek, shimmering, and refined, with moderate alcohol (13.6%) and bright, refreshing acidity. Fermented on only ambient yeasts, with a small percentage of whole grape clusters included, the wine was then aged nearly two years in mostly used French oak (yes, 11% of the barrels were new, but otherwise Eyrie is working with some of the oldest barrels in use anywhere in the US).

In the glass, Eyrie’s ’15 is a bright ruby red with pink highlights at the rim. The aromas are a highly perfumed mix of red and black cherry, raspberry, cranberry, rose petals, sandalwood, and smoky underbrush. Medium-bodied and exceedingly fresh and lively on the palate, its tannins are ultra fine-grained and the finish long and aromatic. It has great tension on the palate and benefits from at least a half-hour in a decanter before service in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Most important, as we learned firsthand when we visited Eyrie last year, these Pinots really can age—this will improve over the next two decades if kept well, which is not something that can be said about many domestic Pinot Noirs. It really is a standard-bearer, and a model of finesse that is a true chameleon with food. Pacific salmon is always a good choice (especially grilled or roasted over coals), but there are many way to go here (there are some great complementary flavors in the attached recipe). If this is not one of your cellar standbys, it should be—it remains one of the great values in American wine. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
Other
Sub-Region
United StatesDundee Hills
Soil
Basalt
Farming
Certified Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.6
OAK
11% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2028
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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