2019 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Meunier, Oregon

The 2019 Pinot Meunier is expressive and detailed. It has a medium ruby color and aromas of wild red and black berries, orange peel, pipe tobacco, iodine and leather. The medium-bodied palate features restrained, mineral-driven fruit, chalky tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a long, spicy finish that calls you in for another sip.

96 points Erin Brooks robertparker.com

Another first for the Lett family: David Lett planted the Willamette Valley’s original Meunier vines. Plantings are spread across two of the five sites—Daphne and Sisters, respectively the highest and lowest on the property. Daphne Vineyard is on the crest of a hill and is one of the oldest and highest sites (260m) in the Dundee Hills AVA. The soils are shallow, averaging less than 10 inches on top of the volcanic bedrock. The site is windy and cool, and as a result, the vines are small and the fruit intense. Sisters Vineyard, planted in 1989, is the youngest of the five Eyrie sites. It sits at 67 metres, faces south and has more sedimentary soils.

2019’s moderate autumn conditions facilitated excellent retention of acidity across the board. Hand-picked fruit was destemmed and fermented naturally in small vessels, ranging from one-tonne bins to five-tonne wooden cuve. Ferments were hand-plunged twice daily before being lightly pressed and aged in primarily old oak (8% new) for 22 months.