(Argyle Extended Tirage Brut) Hello friends. Last year around the holidays, we launched the first Full Pull Instant Gratification series. During the last offers of the year, we only included wines that were available for immediate pick-up, and the response we received was very, very positive. No more ordering wines that can’t be picked up until January. No more delayed holiday presents for family and friends. No more waiting around for your own personal enjoyment. This year, we’re taking it one step further. Welcome to Full Pull’s first-ever Non-Denominational Advent Calendar. (And who could be better fit to write about a secular holiday gift calendar than Paul and Dylan, who were both raised in half-jewish, half-protestant, mostly-secular but highly gift-enthusiastic households.) How it works: you will get an offer every day between now and December 22nd, our last open day of 2018. All of these wines will be available for pick up before the end of the year—even the ones offered on the 22nd itself. These wines are here in the warehouse—or will be soon—delicious, and looking for happy homes for the holidays. Today we’re starting off this holiday special with the most seasonally appropriate wine there is: sparkling.Getting access to this wine was a special treat itself. We have never been able to offer Argyle’s crown jewel before—it usually gets gobbled up within minutes of disgorgement. This year, however, we pre-purchased a small parcel to ensure we would have access once the cold weather hit. This wine would be an exceptional holiday present—or a special treat for your own family at a festive dinner— which is why we want to give you all ample time to order and pick it up before the end of the year. When it comes to American-made sparkling wine, Oregon definitely has the climate to make exceptional examples. Consider that the great grapes of Champagne (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay) all thrive in the Willamette Valley. Argyle has been taking advantage of those well-suited conditions since 1987 and has established a national reputation for fine sparkling wine in the 30+ years since. Argyle currently farms three different vineyard sites: Knudsen (planted from 1972-74), Lone Star (1996), and Spirit Hill (2008). However, back in 2007, Spirit Hill wasn’t part of the cohort yet, and Argyle was working with Stoller Vineyards’ 1995 vines. The extended tirage program is foundational to what Argyle does; it was born from a deep desire to explore the idea of American grower sparkling wine. Though it has not been released every year, Argyle’s Tirage Library in Dundee has sparkling wines still aging on the less that date back to their first vintage over 30 years ago. All of these wines are barrel fermented and aged on the lees for ten years upon release (though they are disgorged by request, so some of them even longer). To give some perspective, a vintage declared cuvée in Champagne must spend three years en tirage (aging on the lees); Argyle ages its extended tirage lineup three time longer than the legal requirement of Champagne. That extra time spent on the yeast supercharges the autolytic notes; which for us, the drinkers, translates into the delicious bready (brioche, croissant, and various delicious baked goods) aromas that we love in good Champagne. 2007 was a near perfect vintage for the Willamette Valley—showcasing wines with expressive fruit and zippy natural acidity. The grapes were all hand picked and cold fermented with the winery’s own proprietary yeast. The blend is 63% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot with 12.5% listed alcohol, 8 g/liter dosage. On the nose, this bottle feels impossibly fresh for its age—full of tart green apple and stone fruit. Slowly, age subtleties start to emerge, with lemon curd, candied fig, and toasted brioche. The palate is deeply layered with roasted nuts and grilled fruit, lemon zest and crushed rocks. It has impressive breadth as it moves wholly across the palate and settles in for a stay. I love its timeless, leesy intricacies, but also that it still possesses youthful charm. The combination is beguiling, and makes the idea of food pairing thrilling. This bottle would be equally delicious with a decadent multi-course meal or stolen kernels of buttered popcorn as you string them alongside cranberries. It’s a true showstopper.
By Paul Zitarelli
(Argyle Extended Tirage Brut) Hello friends. Last year around the holidays, we launched the first Full Pull Instant Gratification series. During the last offers of the year, we only included wines that were available for immediate pick-up, and the response we received was very, very positive. No more ordering wines that can’t be picked up until January. No more delayed holiday presents for family and friends. No more waiting around for your own personal enjoyment. This year, we’re taking it one step further. Welcome to Full Pull’s first-ever Non-Denominational Advent Calendar. (And who could be better fit to write about a secular holiday gift calendar than Paul and Dylan, who were both raised in half-jewish, half-protestant, mostly-secular but highly gift-enthusiastic households.) How it works: you will get an offer every day between now and December 22nd, our last open day of 2018. All of these wines will be available for pick up before the end of the year—even the ones offered on the 22nd itself. These wines are here in the warehouse—or will be soon—delicious, and looking for happy homes for the holidays. Today we’re starting off this holiday special with the most seasonally appropriate wine there is: sparkling.Getting access to this wine was a special treat itself. We have never been able to offer Argyle’s crown jewel before—it usually gets gobbled up within minutes of disgorgement. This year, however, we pre-purchased a small parcel to ensure we would have access once the cold weather hit. This wine would be an exceptional holiday present—or a special treat for your own family at a festive dinner— which is why we want to give you all ample time to order and pick it up before the end of the year. When it comes to American-made sparkling wine, Oregon definitely has the climate to make exceptional examples. Consider that the great grapes of Champagne (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay) all thrive in the Willamette Valley. Argyle has been taking advantage of those well-suited conditions since 1987 and has established a national reputation for fine sparkling wine in the 30+ years since. Argyle currently farms three different vineyard sites: Knudsen (planted from 1972-74), Lone Star (1996), and Spirit Hill (2008). However, back in 2007, Spirit Hill wasn’t part of the cohort yet, and Argyle was working with Stoller Vineyards’ 1995 vines. The extended tirage program is foundational to what Argyle does; it was born from a deep desire to explore the idea of American grower sparkling wine. Though it has not been released every year, Argyle’s Tirage Library in Dundee has sparkling wines still aging on the less that date back to their first vintage over 30 years ago. All of these wines are barrel fermented and aged on the lees for ten years upon release (though they are disgorged by request, so some of them even longer). To give some perspective, a vintage declared cuvée in Champagne must spend three years en tirage (aging on the lees); Argyle ages its extended tirage lineup three time longer than the legal requirement of Champagne. That extra time spent on the yeast supercharges the autolytic notes; which for us, the drinkers, translates into the delicious bready (brioche, croissant, and various delicious baked goods) aromas that we love in good Champagne. 2007 was a near perfect vintage for the Willamette Valley—showcasing wines with expressive fruit and zippy natural acidity. The grapes were all hand picked and cold fermented with the winery’s own proprietary yeast. The blend is 63% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot with 12.5% listed alcohol, 8 g/liter dosage. On the nose, this bottle feels impossibly fresh for its age—full of tart green apple and stone fruit. Slowly, age subtleties start to emerge, with lemon curd, candied fig, and toasted brioche. The palate is deeply layered with roasted nuts and grilled fruit, lemon zest and crushed rocks. It has impressive breadth as it moves wholly across the palate and settles in for a stay. I love its timeless, leesy intricacies, but also that it still possesses youthful charm. The combination is beguiling, and makes the idea of food pairing thrilling. This bottle would be equally delicious with a decadent multi-course meal or stolen kernels of buttered popcorn as you string them alongside cranberries. It’s a true showstopper.Full Pull American Grower Sparkling, 12/1/2018