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Eyrie Vineyards 2023 Chasselas Doré Estate - Sisters Vineyard
From 12 Rows
Where it all started... "You can look at Oregon’s 300-plus wineries and 17,400 acres of vines and trace it to Lett. But he left more than that. He bequeathed a uniquely Oregon ‘wine genome,’ one that others now seek to copy.” - Matt Kramer (Wine Spectator)
Eyrie founder David Lett was convinced that the climate of the Willamette Valley was potentially perfect for growing Pinot noir. At the tender age of 24, with a degree in viticulture, another in philosophy, and eight months of intensive research in European wine regions behind him, David Lett headed for Oregon. He left California with little more than 3000 grape cuttings and a firm conviction that Oregon’s Willamette Valley would be the best home for Pinot noir and Chardonnay outside of Burgundy.
On February 22 1965, David established the modern era of winegrowing in the Willamette Valley when he planted his first vines. David was soon joined by his new wife Diana, and together they planted and expanded their estate on a former orchard in the Dundee Hills. Their plantings focused on the first Pinot noir and Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley, but also the first Pinot gris commercially planted outside of Europe, and other cool climate varieties.
“Three months after meeting David Lett in 1966, I was Diana Lett, standing out in the middle of a field of grape vines in Oregon, with a shovel and a brand new yellow rain-suit. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but I was thrilled to be in on the opening chapter of a great adventure." - Diana Lett
David and Diana were deeply impressed by the vibrant ecosystem surrounding their new site. Inspired by a pair of red-tailed hawks who made their nest (eyrie) in the fir trees at the top of the vineyard site, and who kept them company as they worked, it was Diana who christened their fledgling endeavor "The Eyrie". This original planting was the first of the five estate vineyards they farm today.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Eyrie Vineyards, McMinnville, Oregon
2023 Chasselas Doré Estate - Sisters Vineyard
This wine is made from 12 rows of ungrafted vines in our Sisters Vineyard. Viticulture at all of the estate vineyards is certified organic. In addition we practice regenerative no-till farming, with strict attention paid not just to the vines but to the healthy networks of soil organisms that support them. Not only does this approach avoid the need for artificial irrigation, it also nourishes the vines without the need for additional fertilizer, and captures atmospheric carbon. In the winery, we refrain from unnecessarily manipulating the wines during their fermentation and maturation, allowing them to reflect the vintage. The 2022 vintage aged 11 months on lees. With full natural malolactic fermentation, the wine is crisp and focused with plenty of richness to carry the low alcohol level natural to the grape.
Winemaker Notes Fermentation & Aging: Steel tank, full native malo. 11 months sur lees Production in cases: 522 Bottling date: August 2024 Alcohol % by volume: 12.40
Sisters Vineyard: In 1989, Sisters Vineyard was named after the three Pinot sisters: noir, blanc, and gris. Today Sisters is the experimental farm, with 8 varieties planted there. The youngest block serves double duty as a rootstock trial which is intensively measured and monitored. There are also 9 acres of hazelnuts planted at the site.
Since the planting of the first vine, Eyrie has farmed deep. Our vineyards have never used herbicides, pesticides, tillage or irrigation. We take organic certification as merely the first step, and then we build on it.
All five of our Eyrie estate vineyards are certified organic. Every year, Jason and his crew walk the red volcanic soil of the vineyards, visiting each one of the 50,000 vines 12-15 times throughout the 4 seasons. From pruning to harvest, the work is done by hand. The philosophy of The Eyrie Vineyards is that while we are hands-on in the vineyard, winemaking is restrained to preserve the varietal flavors and expression of the vine that we work so hard to achieve in the vineyards.
A Cellar 503 selection in July 2025, Summer Blockbusters Willamette Valley | Chasselas Doré
