Arterberry Maresh 2016s: A Special Year
Happy Friday Oregon wine fans!I've been waiting for these wines since late December, when I spent a chilly afternoon in the cellar of Jim Arterberry Maresh, tasting his 2016s right before bottling. That's not a normal time for me to barrel taste but when one of your favorite winemakers tells you he has some special wines in barrel, you listen.
2016 was an especially meaningful vintage for Jim -- it was the year his son was born -- and there's something almost mystical at work that Maresh vineyard enjoyed near ideal ripening conditions in September '16. The results are the best Arterberry Maresh wines in years.
Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2016
$26.95 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case* order
($29.95 regular)
Chardonnay and/or Arterberry Maresh fans do not dally: only 40 cases (that's 4-0) were made and while we got the lion's share of it, half is already sold. 100% Maresh Vineyard. 100% electrically stunning. Proceed with speed! - Marcus
Arterberry Maresh Maresh Vineyard Pinot noir 2016
$62.05 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case* order ($68.95 regular)
Elegant power. That's the theme this beauty conveys. It floats effortlessly yet displays richness. A purer expression of Oregon Pinot noir may not exist: old vines, picked at the perfect time, treated the right way, unobscured by new oak, wonderfully balanced in its unstoppable fruit, buoyant freshness, and just-under 13% alcohol. From the most prized block of Maresh Vineyard, Block 3, planted in 1974. As Jim has said many times, this exquisite fruit needs no makeup. It glows like a red sun over the Dundee Hills.
There's a lot of math here, but the take-home message is that there's a small fraction available compared to previous vintages -- only 371 cases produced, compared to 1200 cases the last couple vintages, 56 of which are being held for the fourth generation of Maresh wine-growers, Jimmy Maresh Jr. After spending four days with the wine, I'm confident it will go the distance. - Marcus
We're looking forward to helping you with an order. Thanks for your support!
Marcus and Andy