Eyrie Vineyards, Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills

Every serious conversation about Oregon Pinot Noir begins with The Eyrie Vineyards. This is not just one of the region’s great producers—it is the producer that proved Pinot Noir belonged here at all. Founded by the late David Lett, the original pioneer who famously planted Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley when most people thought the idea was madness, Eyrie helped write the opening chapter of Oregon’s—and America’s—fine wine history.

This bottle comes from the same remarkable, long-lost pallet of wines—the same one that yielded the 1985 Yamhill Valley Vineyards you may have seen offered on the Caubleist a few months back—that my friend Tom misplaced during a warehouse move decades ago. Quietly buried beneath countless other pallets in a temperature-stable 50°F warehouse, it rested undisturbed until being rediscovered by pure luck—set in motion when a friend heard whispers of the find and connected the dots back to Tom, whose sales portfolio had included these wines for decades. Tom had always kept small quantities of his most treasured bottles, and among them was a small cache of this legendary 1985 Eyrie Pinot Noir. He came by and opened a bottle shortly after it resurfaced to get my thoughts, and it was nothing short of epic—deep, perfumed, and thought-provoking aged Pinot Noir with real soul. A true chance to taste history in a bottle. Only a very limited number remain, so act quickly.

To understand why this wine matters, you have to return to the very beginning of the Willamette Valley. In 1965, David Lett planted Pinot Noir in Oregon at a time when the region was widely dismissed as too cold, too wet, and too risky for serious wine. Skepticism was everywhere, but Lett trusted what others could not yet see: clear parallels to Burgundy in climate, latitude, and complex geological history. The region’s ancient soils—shaped by volcanic activity, tectonic uplift, and the cataclysmic Missoula Floods—offered complexity, drainage, and balance uniquely suited to Pinot Noir. While the Dundee Hills AVA would not be formally recognized until decades later, the fruit for this wine comes from those very hills—the area we now understand as the heart of the Dundee Hills and one of Oregon’s most important Pinot Noir terroirs. Iron-rich volcanic Jory soils layered over basalt give the wine its lift, structure, and remarkable ability to age for generations. This bottle is not just wine; it is a preserved moment from the birth of an entire region.

The name Eyrie—a lofty nest of a bird of prey—was chosen deliberately. From the beginning, David Lett believed great wine should offer perspective, clarity, and longevity rather than brute force. Eyrie Vineyards became synonymous with restraint, transparency, and age-worthiness at a time when power and extraction were becoming fashionable. That philosophy remains firmly intact today under the thoughtful stewardship of David’s son, Jason Lett. Still family-owned and quietly independent, Eyrie continues to set its own course—never chasing trends, always trusting time. Anyone reading this owes it to themselves to visit Eyrie in person for one of the most authentic Willamette Valley tasting experiences still left. Tell them I sent you—they are truly special people.

Tasted last month, the 1985 Eyrie Pinot Noir is graceful, alive, and deeply expressive. Aromas of perfumed dried cherry, rose petal, tea leaf, forest floor, dried leather, autumn leaves, subtle spice, and earthy underbrush rise gently from the glass. On the palate it’s silken and precise, with lifted acidity, fully resolved tannins, and a long, savory finish that unfolds slowly rather than fades.

Use a Durand or Ah-So and take your time with the cork. If it breaks, don’t panic—carefully remove what you can, and if any cork falls into the bottle, simply strain the wine through a coffee filter into a decanter; it will still be beautiful. Serve just above cellar temperature in proper Burgundy stems. It opens within a few minutes and will reward you for the next 90 minutes with nuance, elegance, and a story entirely its own.

Pair it simply and classically. A dry-brined roast chicken is perfect—especially something in the spirit of the Zuni Café roast chicken. Few dishes better honor a mature, soulful Pinot Noir than great chicken, well seasoned, and cooked with care.

This is Oregon Pinot Noir in its purest, most historical form—and a bottle very few people will ever experience again.