Eyrie Vineyards Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir 2022

Eyrie Vineyards' Estate Pinot Noir soars like an eagle with aromas of blackberries, violets and the pine needles, duff and mushroom qualities often found on a forest floor. Tart black cherry and lemon zest flavors are joined by notes of cacao nibs and a bit of bone marrow. Crisp acidity and silky tannins offer ample support.

The Estate blend combines grapes from Eyrie’s five estate vineyards. Farming is certified organic, but Jason and his team take this only as a starting point. Viticulture at all of the Estate vineyards follows the precepts of regenerative no-till farming, with strict attention paid not just to the vines but to the healthy networks of soil organisms that support them. Not only does this approach avoid the need for artificial irrigation, it also nourishes the vines without the need for additional fertilizer and captures atmospheric carbon.

The grapes are harvested by hand, destemmed and put into a variety of fermenters, from small one-ton bins to a five-ton wooden cuve, to undergo native primary fermentation. The barrels are mostly neutral—for this vintage only 8% were new. Having undergone native malolactic fermentation and aged for almost two years, the 2022 Pinot noir was blended after 22 months, racked once without filtration, and then bottled and sealed under Diam cork. 1846 cases produced.

Often considered the birthplace of Oregon Pinot Noir, The Eyrie Vineyards is a pioneering winery in the Dundee Hills, founded in 1965 by David and Diana Lett. They introduced the first Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris to the Willamette Valley. Known for elegant, long-lived wines, the estate is now managed by Jason Lett, focusing on organic, no-till, low-intervention winemaking. Eyrie gained international recognition in 1979 when its 1975 Pinot Noir competed against top Burgundies.