On February 22nd, 1965, David Lett (pictured above on the day) of Eyrie Vineyards planted the first Pinot Noir in Oregon and the Willamette Valley since prohibition, and quite possibly ever.
Most grape growers look at an area and decide what varieties might best work there. Inversely David Lett was set on growing Pinot Noir in a cool climate, eventually narrowing down to three regions he was interested in – the Willamette Valley in Oregon, the South Island of New Zealand and the Northern Coast of Portugal where temperatures are moderated by the Atlantic.
Much has changed in the intervening 66 years, but many Oregon winemakers and fine wine enthusiasts are rightly glad that David and his wife Diana planted vines there and set up the pioneering Eyrie Vineyards.
Today, Oregon is one of the most exciting wine regions in the world for Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay among other classic French varietals).
Writing in this months’ Decanter Magazine, their North America Editor Clive Pursehouse noted:
“As cool-climate Pinot Noir regions go, I think the Willamette Valley in Oregon is without peer in the United States. I love the wines of the West Sonoma Coast, with their freshness and lift, but the classical elegance of the Willamette, marked by its unmistakable forest floor character and sweet, fresh red fruit, swings it for me. The Willamette Valley has become a New World answer for lovers of classic Burgundy…
… The region that was pioneered in the early 1970s has risen in just 50 years to be recognised as one of the world’s premium Pinot Noir-producing appellations. American upstarts such as Adelsheim, Coury, Lett and Ponzi have been followed there by French names like Drouhin, Jadot and Lafon…
…Taken together, these elements create an elegance evocative of the Pinot Noirs of Burgundy. However, in my view, the calibre of the wines, particularly for the price, exceeds what’s available in both Burgundy and the West Sonoma Coast.”
“Jason Lett of The Eyrie Vineyards produces some of the most classic, true-to-terroir Pinots and Chardonnays readers are likely to find in Oregon. He also oversees some of the oldest vines in the region, including plantings his father made in 1965. These vines still produce the fruit that form the Pinot Noir South Block, one of their top bottlings. Lett’s practices are genuinely traditional, as he approaches each vintage with an open mind and willingness to allow the season to speak through the finished wines. The Eyrie Vineyards holdings range from 200 to 900 feet of elevation, and as a result, many of the lower parcels in Dundee were affected by the spring frost. Chardonnay suffered the most. However, Lett explained that there is no winemaking wizardry to compensate for the damage or to make up for what Mother Nature provided. While he might change fermentation times or opt to use pumpovers versus punchdowns, in the end, it’s about letting the vintage show through. The 2022s lean into the savory spectrum, especially compared to the fruit-forward 2021s. The 2022s are more lifted and soft-contoured, with aromatic profiles that will gain depth through cellaring.” – Eric Guido, Vinous.com, May 2024
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