Eyrie Vineyards pioneered Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley and arguably the New World. David Lett planted America’s first commercial Pinot Gris vines in the Eyrie Vineyard at the same time he was putting his Pinot Noir vines in the soil. Eyrie set the bar and remains at the pinnacle of Gris production in the area. Eyrie takes the long way around when it comes to Pinot Gris, aging wines on lees for up to four times longer than many of their more commercial competitors and allowing full malolactic conversion. The result is wines of supple texture complementing fresh acidities and incredible ageability.
Pinot Gris is a core tenet of the Eyrie tale, and plantings have increased due to demand. Pinot Gris vines can now be found in the Roland Green, Sisters and Daphne vineyards, as well as the original 1965 Eyrie Vineyard plantings. The 2021 season was warm, with long, dry periods punctuated by short spells of rain. The summer was warm but brought into balance by a cool close to the season in September and October. Chilly nights preserved acid freshness throughout, something Eyrie values deeply. Handpicked fruit is destemmed, pressed and fermented in stainless-steel tank. The wine sees full malolactic conversion and rests in tank for 11 months on lees before bottling.