2021 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris, Willamette Oregon

The 2021 Estate Pinot Gris is savory and expressive, offering aromas of mushroom powder, apple pie, lilac and flint and opening to honeyed bass tones as it spends time in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with honeyed, nutty fruit framed by rounded acidity, and it finishes long and pleasantly grippy.

94 points Erin Brooks robertparker.com

David Lett planted America’s first commercial Pinot Gris vines in the Eyrie Vineyard at the same time he was putting his Pinot Noir vines in the soil. Eyrie set the bar and remains at the pinnacle of Gris production in the Willamette area. Eyrie takes the long way around when it comes to this grape, aging wines on lees for up to four times longer than many of their more commercial competitors and allowing full malolactic conversion. The result is wines of supple texture complementing fresh acidities and impressive ageability.

Pinot Gris is a core tenet of the Eyrie tale, and plantings have increased due to demand. Pinot Gris vines can now be found in the Roland Green, Sisters and Daphne vineyards, as well as the original 1965 Eyrie Vineyard plantings. Handpicked fruit is destemmed, pressed and fermented in stainless-steel tank. The wine rests in tank for 11 months on lees before bottling.