Maloof 'Eyrie Pinot Gris' 2019

“David Lett moved up to Oregon from California in the mid 60s after traveling the world to find the perfect place to grow his grapes. He is revered by the Oregon winemaking community as being a true pioneer, shaping what we know today as the Oregon wine industry. He planted vines, using material from UC Davis’ plant foundation services as a nursery plot in 1965, while he meticulously searched for the absolute perfect site. Within the plant material he hauled north were 160 cuttings of pinot gris, taken from just four plants that were at the University. In 1966, he landed on a neglected 20 acre orchard in the south end of the Dundee Hills, and shortly after, the first block of The Eyrie Vineyards was laid out. With that initial plot, David had planted the very first commercial pinot gris in North America.

Through the decades, The Eyrie Vineyards has steadily been looked up to in awe from newer waves of winemakers and grape growers alike, as the institution has maintained the very pioneering spirit it had from the outset. In 2005, the operations were taken over by David’s son Jason, who continues to make some of the most exciting wines in Oregon.

After a long discussion about our shared love for pinot gris, its changing place in Oregon wine, and the fears that the future could hold, Jason offered us the chance to work with some of the fruit from that original plot, making us the first winery other than Eyrie themselves to produce wine from the oldest pinot gris planting in North America. The vineyard is a truly special place to us, to Jason, and to Oregon. We are beyond humbled, and truly terrified to have such an absurd opportunity.

The wine is called “By the Lapels” because in the part of our gris-centric discussion with Jason, where we were speculating the fate of pinot gris, and more specifically bottle values in the market, Jason kindly reminded us how in the 90s no one knew how to sell Chardonnay from Oregon, and that much of the Chardonnay plantings at the time were grafted over, many of which to pinot gris. In talking about this continuous race from one end of the canoe to the other, and how each year we see less and less pinot gris take up serious vineyard land in Oregon, Jason told us that sometimes you just need to ‘Grab people by the lapels, and let them know what something is worth.’” — Ross + Bee Maloof, Maloof Wines

Vintage: 2019
Grapes: Pinot Gris
Style: White Wine
Alcohol Content: 12.5% Alcohol by Volume
Vineyard: Eyrie Vineyards
Appellation: Dundee Hills AVA
Viticulture: Certified Organic. Dry-farmed.
Soils: Volcanic
Elevation: 260-410 feet
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Direct pressed. Fermented and aged in a single barrel for 16 month on the lees.
Fining: None
Filtering: None
Production: 25 cases of 750mL Bottles