Eyrie South Block Reserve Pinot Noir 2019

Eyrie South Block Reserve Pinot Noir 2019

$ 299.95
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99 points Wine Enthusiast, Cellar Selection: "The South Block is 10 iconic rows of Pinot Noir planted in Dundee Hills by the Lett family in the 1960s. Earthy aromas of a post-rain meadow blend seamlessly with notes of dark raspberry, chamomile, violets and cut grass. The wine's silky texture is grace personified, with blackberry tea, oregano and buckwheat honey flavors. Savor this greatness until 2049."

It's nearly impossible to capture the historical significance of Eyrie's South Block, its impact on the Willamette Valley. But we’ll try. 

Ten years ago, after a 6 year hiatus, Jason Lett released a Pinot Noir from Eyrie’s most storied patch of ground—the South Block. Planted in 1968, the South Block occupies a mere 10 rows of the first vines planted at Eyrie. As Jason’s father, Eyrie founder David “Papa Pinot” Lett discovered—and the wine world soon learned—these ten rows express a magical spot where 6 different soil types converge. The unique presence of the wine it produces so captivated David that he first bottled it as South Block in 1975. 

In 1979, Eyrie's 1975 South Block was entered into an international wine tasting in Paris; it finished above storied Burgundian Grand Crus. Shocked and displeased with the results, the French staged a redo the following year. Eyrie's '75 South Block once again stunned the world, finishing second and (again) beating legendary Grand Cru Burgundies. The world was on notice: Oregon could produce truly world-class Pinot Noir. 

While the original vines planted at Eyrie continue to produce extraordinary wines, they are succumbing to phylloxera; we’ll be lucky if South Block’s original vines exist 10 years from now, as only 54 cases of 2019 South Block were made. Seeing the slow demise of the South Block, Jason has chosen to make the most of the limited time this treasure has left. The best tribute to this magical site, to its profound importance to Oregon wine, is the wine in the bottle. Here is your opportunity to add a storied, delicious piece of history to your collection.

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