Eyrie vinifies its Pinot cuvées identically in an effort to showcase site. They use ambient yeast, small fermentation vessels, and aging in a very modest amount of new oak.
Their seven-acre “The Eyrie” vineyard was planted between 1965 and 1974; it was the first Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley. Clones are Wadenswil, Pommard, and Upright, and some un-grafted vines remain. The vineyard was named for a hawk’s nest, or eyrie, at the top of the hill.
The fragrance dark and plummy, with a note of wild blackberry and a slight lavender-leafiness. The palate is high-toned and light-textured, with a solid core of red plum and shimmery acidity. There is a vanishing amount of tannin.
It’s so elegant.
2016 Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir The Eyrie Dundee Hills
13% ABV | $80 (sample)
