The Eyrie Vineyards

David Lett began a second bachelor's degree, in viticulture, at UC Davis, and after graduating in 1964 spent several months in northern Europe researching the climate requirements of Pinot noir and related varieties. He became convinced that Oregon's Willamette Valley offered the best American climate for these varieties. In January 1965 he arrived in Oregon with 3,000 grape cuttings and planted them to root in a rented nursery plot while he looked for vineyard land. That first planting, dated February 22, 1965, was the first recorded planting of Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley and the first commercial-scale planting of Pinot gris in America. Later in 1965 Charles Coury, David's friend and classmate at UC Davis, returned from Alsace and roomed with him in Silverton while both looked for vineyard sites; once Coury found his site, David helped him establish his plantings. In August 1966 David bought a 20 acre site near Dundee, a prune orchard on red soil. He identified the volcanic Jory and Nekia soils of certain valley hillsides as having the right combination of limited fertility and water-holding properties. David and Diana were married in Dallas in October 1966. Diana named the venture "The Eyrie" after a pair of red-tailed hawks that nested in the fir trees at the top of the vineyard site.

• UC Davis viticulture graduate; researched Pinot noir climate requirements in northern Europe after graduating in 1964
• Arrived in Oregon January 1965 with 3,000 grape cuttings; first vines planted February 22, 1965
• 20 acre site near Dundee bought August 1966
• Named for a pair of red-tailed hawks nesting (an eyrie) in fir trees at the top of the site

The Eyrie Vineyards produced its first vintage in 1970 in McMinnville, where the winery still makes wine. In 1979, when David Lett learned that Gault-Millau was planning a competitive blind tasting of wines from around the world, he sent in his Eyrie Vineyard Pinot Noir South Block 1975, made from his original plantings. According to Wine Spectator, among hundreds of Burgundies and other Pinot Noirs it finished third with one group of tasters and 10th with another. Burgundy négociant Robert Drouhin repeated the tasting for himself the following year and, according to Wine Spectator, got the same result. Eight years later Drouhin was in the Oregon wine business. Decanter's Stephen Brook profiled the wine as a Wine Legend. The 1975 South Block Reserve is 100% Pinot Noir, with 1,172 bottles produced from grapes picked between 4 and 6 October.

• First vintage 1970
• Wine Spectator: South Block 1975 finished third with one group of tasters and 10th with another at the 1979 Gault-Millau tasting
• Wine Spectator: Robert Drouhin repeated the tasting the following year and got the same result
• 1,172 bottles of the 1975 South Block Reserve produced

Eyrie farms five estate vineyards in the Dundee Hills. The Eyrie Vineyard is where David and Diana moved the first 3,000 vines from their 1965 nursery site; the Original Vine bottlings and the South Block Pinot noir come from this vineyard. Daphne Vineyard, at the crest of the hill, is one of the oldest and highest elevation plantings in the Dundee Hills, with soil averaging less than 10 inches on top of bedrock. Roland Green Farm Vineyard has 6 acres of own-rooted vines and 5 acres of new Pinot noir plantings, with 11 acres of unplanted ground held in reserve. Sisters Vineyard, named in 1989 after the three Pinot sisters (noir, blanc, and gris), is the estate's experimental farm, with 8 varieties planted. Outcrop Vineyard, planted by neighbors the Easons over several decades, was purchased in 2011, and Eyrie made its first vintage from its grapes in 2012. All five estate vineyards are certified organic and have never used herbicides, pesticides, tillage, or irrigation. The crew visits each of the 50,000 vines 12 to 15 times a year, and the work is done by hand. Eyrie sometimes supplements its estate fruit with grapes from other organically managed vineyards, including Tukwilla (Dundee Hills) and Cattrall Brothers (Eola-Amity Hills).

• The Eyrie Vineyard: original plantings; source of Original Vine bottlings and South Block Pinot noir
• Daphne, Roland Green Farm, Sisters (named 1989), and Outcrop (purchased 2011)
• All five certified organic; never herbicides, pesticides, tillage, or irrigation
• Sourced fruit from Tukwilla (Dundee Hills) and Cattrall Brothers (Eola-Amity Hills)

Eyrie uses native yeast fermentations in reds, skin contact on whites, and full natural malolactic fermentation, with minimal racking, extended lees contact, no fining, and minimal filtration. New oak is kept small: out of every 25 barrels in the cellar, only 1 is new, and the estate still makes wine in 12 of the first barrels it purchased. Pinot gris ages 11 months before bottling, Chardonnay up to 18 months, and Pinot noir up to 2 years. Depending on vintage, the winery uses up to 5% whole cluster fermentation in Pinot noir. In 1974 David Lett observed a new strain of malolactic bacteria in the Eyrie wines; this resident of the cellar still contributes to every wine. Decanter's Stephen Brook describes David's Pinot Noir style as favouring perfume and delicacy rather than power, and writes that the Eyrie style only evolved slightly after Jason took over the winemaking in 2005. Jason began applying native yeasts to Eyrie Pinot Noirs in 2008 at 20 percent, went to 50 percent in 2009, and reached 100 percent in 2010.

• Native yeast in reds, full natural malolactic, no fining, minimal filtration
• 1 new barrel in every 25; 12 of the first barrels still in use
• Up to 5% whole cluster in Pinot noir, depending on vintage
• Decanter: a style favouring perfume and delicacy rather than power

Eyrie's 2023 fact sheets cover Chardonnay Estate, Chasselas doré Estate, Pinot blanc Estate, Pinot gris Estate, Pinot gris The Eyrie, Trousseau Estate, and single vineyard Pinot noirs from Sisters and The Eyrie. The 2022 fact sheets add Pinot Meunier Estate, Pinot noir Estate, and single vineyard Pinot noirs from Outcrop, Roland Green, and Daphne. Fact sheets for Pinot noir South Block exist for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 vintages, and the estate's Eyrie Legacy club includes Pinot noir South Block Reserve annually. Depending on the vintage, the winery may make a sparkling Pinot Meunier or a Rosé of Pinot gris fermented on the skins. Library wines are released through Cellar Certification, a 21-step process that excludes oxygen during the opening, tasting, reblending, rebottling, and recorking of each lot.

• Estate bottlings of Chardonnay, Chasselas doré, Pinot blanc, and Pinot gris
• Also: Pinot noir Estate, single vineyard Pinot noirs, Pinot Meunier Estate, Trousseau Estate
• Pinot noir South Block Reserve included annually in the Eyrie Legacy club
• Cellar Certified library releases via a 21-step process

David Lett (1939-2008) founded The Eyrie Vineyards with Diana Lett. Their son Jason Lett worked his first vintage in 1973 and continued to work in the vineyards and winery throughout his youth. Jason took over from his father as winemaker and vineyard manager in 2005, and in July 2008 David formally passed the torch to him at a retirement tasting of Pinot noir Reserves from all of his 39 vintages. Jason is Proprietor/Winemaker and co-owner, overseeing all facets of production and business, and co-founder Diana Lett still takes an active role in operations and events. Vineyard lead Javier Garcia joined Eyrie in 1984, and production manager Jeremy Saville supports the core crew of 7.

• David Lett (1939-2008), co-founder with Diana Lett
• Jason Lett: first vintage worked 1973; winemaker since 2005
• Diana Lett, co-founder, active in operations and events
• Javier Garcia, vineyard lead since 1984; Jeremy Saville, production manager

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.eyrievineyards.com/, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/envisioning.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/grapegrowing.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/winemaking.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/working.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/purchase.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/visit.php, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/download.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/vineyards.shtml, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/pdfs/words/David%20Memorial%20Biography.pdf, https://www.eyrievineyards.com/pdfs/words/March%201996%2C%20McMinnville%20Chamber%20Speech.pdf. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/learn/wine-legend-the-eyrie-vineyards-south-block-reserve-pinot-noir-1975-406198/, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/profiles-in-pinot-noir-eyrie-1801, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/changes-at-eyrie-vineyard-47261. Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.