Winery - The Eyrie Vineyards
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Estate-grown and aged on the lees in stainless steel, this expressively spicy Pinot Blanc from Eyrie is the last vintage when founder David Lett was alive at crush. It’s a gem, with lively pear, apple and white peach, fresh acids and a lingering finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
In 1970, David Lett made Pinot Gris for the first time – the first time anywhere in America. This, his 38th and final vintage, runs the flavor gamut from citrus to stone fruit to tropical. There’s a deep straw color, a flash of honey, and a substantial, almost weighty midpalate. Light toast adds further flavor interest to the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Eyrie’s Chardonnays are idiosyncratic, with a distinctive, pungent, tarry note dominating the tight, green apple fruit. The 37-year-old vineyard has unique clones, and winemaker David Lett does a long fermentation sur lie. The result is a tart, citrusy wine with the possibility of aging for quite a long while.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Chardonnay is not the ace in David Lett’s deck, but he does a distinctive style that is built to be tight and ageworthy. Yeasty, creamy and elegant, the reserve spends almost two years on the lees and extra time in the bottle before being released. Green apple and lemon flavors rule; this is a food wine and a wine to lay down for a while longer.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Eyrie’s Pinots can be quite deceptive when young. This is a sweetly perfumed with ripe fruit, tightly structured, and more Old World than New in its flavors. The emphasis is on high acids, subtle hints of mineral and a dash of herb.—P.G.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
In a great vintage such as 1999, Eyrie’s reserve Pinot can be expected to age for as long as any made in America. This is ripely scented with classic Pinot fruit and fertile earth. The Burgundian sweet cherry and plum flavors at the heart of it also carry a bit of barnyard, what the French call gout de terroir. Note: this is not jammy, sweet or unctuous. It is not hedonistic. It is simply excellent. —P.G.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A splendid bottle, lucid, refined, a gorgeous evocation of the grape with delicate cherry/cranberry fruit, hints of pepper and spice, and the gravitas that comes with grapes from 40-year-old vines.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Full-bodied, ripened perfectly with fleshy apple, pear and guava flavors, this skirts the line between elegance and power, keeps clean and refreshing, and brings in just enough phenolic flavor to put a bit of tannic bite into the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The reserve Chardonnay is a full-bodied, oaky wine, with flavors that carry extra intensity and a sense of muscularity. A sturdy, substantial effort.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Classic Eyrie, European styling, and perfectly suited to this rather lean vintage. Impeccable balance, with a subtle mix of fruits, herbs, spices, leaf and wood. The grip and authority of this wine are lovely.
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