David Lett, founder of The Eyrie Vineyards planted his first 3000 vinifera vines in Oregon in 1965. He was the first to plant Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir is what drew David to the region and he was convinced it was perfect for growing the grape. Given that 62% of all vines planted in the Oregon are Pinot Noir it’s safe to say he was on to something.
Oregon Wine Pioneers Jim McDaniel and David Lett
The day I made my visit to the Eyrie Vineyards I met with wine writer Kerry McDaniel Boenisch and her father Jim on a Friday morning in Dayton. I had no idea who these people were as my itinerary was set by Oregon Wine Country. Little did I know I would be spending my morning with some of the pioneers of Pinot Noir. Jim tells me the story of how David knocked on his door looking for a place to house the winery. He was able to provide David the space to work and in turn he was inspired to plant his own vineyards. In turn the early work being done by David inspired Jim to plant his own vineyards. I wonder if either David or Jim had any idea they were about to change the agriculture from grain to grapes.
The Eyrie Vineyards focus on Pinot Noir, but there is a well rounded portfolio with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Chasselas. It’s fascinating to hear Jason talk about the vineyards planted by his father. The vines were planted without using rootstock. Most commercial vineyards are planted using rootstock that is resistant to phylloxera. This disease is fatal for vitis vinifera and there is no cure. As such, many of the vineyards are currently being affected by the disease. Jason has no delusions about finding a “cure” but he’s hoping with vineyard management he can keep the fifty year old vines going for a little while longer. Currently he’s musing about the effects of using poison oak as a cover crop to stop the spread of the disease, I’m sure his vineyard workers will be thrilled to hear that.
Coca-Cola kegs still get used in the Barrel Cellar
The actual production facility is impressive and still holds some of the original barrels and coca cola kegs used by David when he first started making wine. There is something about walking through a winery and seeing stainless steel kegs with a vintage Coca Cola logo stamped on it. There isn’t much about the Eyrie vineyards that I would say is conventional. This unorthodox thinking is something of a badge of honour. When I poked my head into the tasting lab I noticed a small sticker on the wall no more than a few inches wide that says “TO HELL WITH HOW THEY DO IT IN CALIFORNIA”. I was informed that (tongue in cheek) this is the company slogan.
The historical importance of this winery should be underlined as well as this winery is directly responsible for the presence of the Drouhin family in Oregon. It was the quality of the wines from the Eyrie vineyards tasted blind at the Wine Olympics in 1979 that led to the eventual creation of Domaine Drouhin.
2014 Original Vines Pinot Gris – $41.00USD – **** – This wine is made from vines that were originally planted 1965-1968. There is a nice mineral note present from start to finish. The concentration of fruit is impressive with nice apple and melon notes. If I had to sum this wine up in one word it would be Serious. I still remain a Pinot Gris skeptic, but this wine brings me dangerously close to being a believer.
2014 Estate Chardonnay – ****+ – There is a lot going on in this bottle. The aromas are tropical with pineapple, mango and vanilla. There is a nice finesse and elegance to this wine. The fruit is nicely concentrated but still restrained. The balance with acidity is fantastic and there is a nice mineral note that helps keep this light on the palate.
2014 Original Vines Reserve Chardonnay – ****+ – There is nice orchard fruit on the nose with apples, peaches, mineral and vanilla. The flavours are very concentrated but everything is in perfect balance in this bottle. There is nice weight on the mid palate but the acidity keeps this wine on its tiptoes on the palate. There is a nice mineral note to this wine and the finish is long but refreshing at the same time.
1992 Chardonnay – The day of my visit there was a bottle of Chardonnay from 1992 open. This wine was almost a quarter century old when I had the opportunity to taste it. Time has been very kind to this bottle. The aroma is butterscotch and baking spice layered over apple. The flavours just make you feel like fall as the spice notes mingled with the apple with feel a little like a home baked pie. There are notes of caramel and wood smoke that linger on the finish.
2015 Rosé of Pinot Noir – $24.00USD – **** – This is a dry rosé but the fruit that comes through is candied cherry, cranberry and raspberry. It’s remarkable that even the Rosé brings this racy mineral note that manages to rear it’s head even with very intense fruit flavours.
2013 Original Vines Pinot Noir – $80.00USD – ****+ – This wine comes from vines that were planted between 1965-74. The nose is very rich and concentrated with dark Cherry, and Blackberry. There is a nice earthiness buried under all that fruit that should become a little more pronounced with a little time in the cellar. The concentration of flavour is pyrotechnics for the palate – it only takes a second for your whole mouth to be filled with the very rich fruit flavours from the nose.
2013 Roland Green – $60.00USD – ****+ – This is a pure expression of fruit with very little earthiness. If you closed your eyes and pictured every kind of cherry you know this smell kinda like that – dark, red, sour, maraschino. This is elegant and essentially liquid silk and finishes soft and smooth.
