Eyrie Vineyards Estate Pinot Gris 2021, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

“David Lett pioneered both Pinot noir and its white wine cousin, Pinot gris, the two grapes that define Oregon wine today. But just as important, he established the very tone of Oregon winegrowing: artisanal, individualistic, even idiosyncratic… You can look at Oregon’s 300-plus wineries and 17,400 acres of vines and trace it to Lett. But he left more than that. He bequeathed a uniquely Oregon ‘wine genome,’ one that others now seek to copy.” Eyrie pioneered the variety in the New World and the New World’s oldest vines contribute to this cuvée. We take a slow approach – our Pinot gris ages 3-4 times longer than most commercial versions, on its natural yeast lees and in the company of full malolactic. The result is textural suppleness to complement the acidity, and a surprising ability to age. (Recent tastings of 1977, 1983, 1989, and 1991 all continue to show amazing freshness. Winemaker Notes: Average Vine Age: 30 years. Vineyard Certification: Organic. Fermentation: Steel tank, full native malo, 11 months sur lies. Appellation: Dundee Hills, Oregon