Eyrie Vineyards 50th Anniversary Vertical Tasting

Portland Art Museum
Tasted Sunday, February 22, 2015 by aChave with 641 views

Introduction

Large event/gathering to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the founders of Oregon's wine industry. Eyrie's first vines planted in 2/22/1965 in a temporary nursery by David and Diana Lett; the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Oregon's Willamette Valley and the first Pinot Gris outside of Europe. Eyrie's vineyard established in 1966.

Event began with an introduction from Diana Lett, David's wife (David died in 2008). Jason Lett, David's son and current owner/winemaker, led the event with an historical retrospective and slide show as well as a discussion of philosophy and future projects. Interesting and entertaining.

Flight 1 - 1970's (4 Notes)

Eyrie's first vintage was in 1970. The 1970's showed remarkable acidity, especially for their age.

Flight 2 - 1980's (4 Notes)

The 1980's were in very good shape, again showing good acidity. To me, the 1983 Pinot Gris and 1986 Pinot Noir were standouts.

Flight 3 - 1990's (4 Notes)

The 1990's as a group were showing very well indeed. No sign of down-side at this point.

Flight 4 - 2000's (4 Notes)

Flight 5 - 2012 Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs (2 Notes)

Inaugural release of the new group of single vineyard Pinot Noirs from Eyrie. Jason Lett says the vineyards are "old enough" to stand on their own. He's right... watch for these!

In addition to the two with notes, other wines included Sisters, Outcrop, and Rolling Green; these were quite similar (light ruby with fragrant red fruits and medium balance with good framing acidity) as compared to the Daphne and Original Vines (Eyrie Vineyard). I believe the single vineyard "Original Vines" is the same as what has been designated as Eyrie's "Original Vines Reserve" but it is not labeled as such.

Flight 6 - Sparkling Toast to Eyrie's 50th (1 Note)

Inaugural release of Eyrie's Pinot Meunier Rose Brut Nature sparkling wine.

  • NV The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Meunier Brut Nature 50th Anniversary

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

    Bright peachy orange color. Spritzy effervescence; no beading evident (could have been due to the nature of the event... glasses pre-poured and served at table). Effervescence alive in the mouth, however. Lovely cherry with touch of strawberry fragrance and fruity, mouth-filling flavors. Has the acidity and fruit balance to age gracefully for at least several years, though Eyrie's track record seems to suggest much longer. May need some bottle time to gain more depth and complexity. Base wine 40% 2009 vintage aged 3 years in barrel; 60% 2011 also barrel aged. All Pinot Meunier. Disgorged January 2015. No dosage. Overall, a remarkable first sparkling wine for Eyrie.

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Closing

This tasting showed the ability of balanced wines of subtlety, good fruit and acidity to age gracefully for many years. Kudos to Eyrie's "certification" process that tests and maintains the quality of its library wines. They certainly showed beautifully on this occasion.

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