As Rare As It Gets In Oregon
You probably know The Eyrie Vineyards for its history, its Pinot Gris and Pinot Noirs...
…but you probably are unaware of some of the far more limited wines that second gen winemaker Jason Lett offers to tasting room and club customers. On my website this coming Friday (6/30) I’m planning a full write-up of current releases, along with a very interesting conversation with Jason regarding ageability.
This preview was inspired by my tasting of his 2021 Trousseau. Not yet listed on the website (hopefully will be soon) this is but one of several unique offerings that are almost unknown in this country. I tasted this fascinating red wine over the course of four days, and found it continued to develop more fullness, more nuance and more detail with each new pour.
The Eyrie Vineyards 2021 Trousseau – It had been several years since I last tasted this wine, and the vineyard, planted in 2012, has had some time to develop deeper roots. The aromatics of this latest vintage are as evocative and compelling as Pinot Noir, the color reminiscent of Sangiovese, the fruit flavors a compendium of flowers, herbs, rhubarb and berries. The balance is fine, the tannins rugged but proportionate, and the finish brings touches of earth and citrus into play. In short, a fascinating and complex wine that is a perfect complement to Jason Lett's expansive portfolio of Pinot Noir. 11.5%; $40 (Dundee Hills) 93/100
As luck would have it, I was sharing the Trousseau with visiting friends who had brought a wine back from the Rioja region that they wanted me to taste. During their visit to the winery, they’d been told that this was a legal but rare grape grown in Rioja that they wouldn’t find at too many places.
Maturana Tinta is certainly not a grape with which I was familiar, so we eagerly opened the bottle and poured the wine. It was dark, boldly fruity, with plenty of dark accents. Quite tasty, forward and accessible. Curious to know more, I consulted my Jancis Robinson tome and looked up Maturana Tinta,
Which turns out to be…. wait for it…. Trousseau.
Once we all knew the two bottles were in some sense the same grape, we of course began to find some similarities. How much of that was the power of suggestion I cannot say. But the whole experience provided us with one of those delightful moments of serendipity for which wine is known.
More to come on www.paulgwine.com this Friday!