The Eyrie Vineyards 'Estate' Pinot Meunier, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2021
Founded in 1966 by David and Diana Lett in the Red Hills of Dundee, The Eyrie Vineyards is the originating estate of Oregon's wine industry. David Lett planted the first Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley, and his 1975 Pinot Noir became the first American example to place competitively against the top wines of Burgundy — prompting Robert Drouhin's celebrated rematch in Beaune in 1980. Jason Lett, David's son, took over as winemaker and proprietor in 2005, deepening the estate's commitment to certified organic and regenerative no-till farming while expanding into rare varieties including Trousseau, Melon de Bourgogne, and Pinot Meunier. All wines are estate-grown, produced in limited quantities, and built for the long haul. Only 387 cases of this Pinot Meunier were made.
- WINEMAKER: Jason Lett
- FARMING: Certified Organic. Regenerative no-till viticulture across all estate vineyards, prioritizing soil organism health, unirrigated dry farming, and carbon capture. No herbicides, insecticides, or systemic fungicides. All vines own-rooted.
- VARIETY: 100% Pinot Meunier
- TERROIR: Two estate sites within the Dundee Hills AVA: Daphne Vineyard (850 ft elevation, planted 1979) and Sisters Vineyard (220 ft elevation, planted 2013). The Dundee Hills are defined by iron-rich Jory volcanic basalt soils and a climate shaped by the rain shadow of the Coast Range — warm, dry summers and cool, moderate harvests. The 2021 vintage saw an early bud break, heat spikes and yield reduction in June, and then a pivotal shift in early September when cooling nights preserved acidity while slow sugar development deepened flavor complexity. Harvest ran September 10 through October 1.
- VINIFICATION: Hand-harvested and fully destemmed into 1,100-liter open-top fermenters. Native primary fermentation with no temperature manipulation. Caps managed by hand twice daily. Full native malolactic fermentation.
- AGING: 22 months in neutral oak. Bottled April 2023. 13.44% ABV.
- TASTING NOTES: Cranberry, red cherry, and blackberry with notes of wild fennel, amaro, dried herbs, and floral perfume. Medium-bodied with precise, tea-textured tannins, seamless freshness, and a long spicy finish. Jason Lett has called Pinot Meunier a "climate-change superstar" for its natural adaptations to heat and sun.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Roast duck, salmon, mushroom risotto, charcuterie, aged goat cheese.
- SCORES: 93 pts. James Suckling (2021 vintage)
The Eyrie Vineyards 'Estate' Pinot Meunier, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2021
Founded in 1966 by David and Diana Lett in the Red Hills of Dundee, The Eyrie Vineyards is the originating estate of Oregon's wine industry. David Lett planted the first Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley, and his 1975 Pinot Noir became the first American example to place competitively against the top wines of Burgundy — prompting Robert Drouhin's celebrated rematch in Beaune in 1980. Jason Lett, David's son, took over as winemaker and proprietor in 2005, deepening the estate's commitment to certified organic and regenerative no-till farming while expanding into rare varieties including Trousseau, Melon de Bourgogne, and Pinot Meunier. All wines are estate-grown, produced in limited quantities, and built for the long haul. Only 387 cases of this Pinot Meunier were made.
- WINEMAKER: Jason Lett
- FARMING: Certified Organic. Regenerative no-till viticulture across all estate vineyards, prioritizing soil organism health, unirrigated dry farming, and carbon capture. No herbicides, insecticides, or systemic fungicides. All vines own-rooted.
- VARIETY: 100% Pinot Meunier
- TERROIR: Two estate sites within the Dundee Hills AVA: Daphne Vineyard (850 ft elevation, planted 1979) and Sisters Vineyard (220 ft elevation, planted 2013). The Dundee Hills are defined by iron-rich Jory volcanic basalt soils and a climate shaped by the rain shadow of the Coast Range — warm, dry summers and cool, moderate harvests. The 2021 vintage saw an early bud break, heat spikes and yield reduction in June, and then a pivotal shift in early September when cooling nights preserved acidity while slow sugar development deepened flavor complexity. Harvest ran September 10 through October 1.
- VINIFICATION: Hand-harvested and fully destemmed into 1,100-liter open-top fermenters. Native primary fermentation with no temperature manipulation. Caps managed by hand twice daily. Full native malolactic fermentation.
- AGING: 22 months in neutral oak. Bottled April 2023. 13.44% ABV.
- TASTING NOTES: Cranberry, red cherry, and blackberry with notes of wild fennel, amaro, dried herbs, and floral perfume. Medium-bodied with precise, tea-textured tannins, seamless freshness, and a long spicy finish. Jason Lett has called Pinot Meunier a "climate-change superstar" for its natural adaptations to heat and sun.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Roast duck, salmon, mushroom risotto, charcuterie, aged goat cheese.
- SCORES: 93 pts. James Suckling (2021 vintage)