The Eyrie Vineyards

At the age of 24, after earning a degree in viticulture and enology from UC Davis and spending eight months researching European wine regions, David Lett arrived in Oregon with 3,000 grape cuttings and a conviction that the Willamette Valley was the best place outside Burgundy to grow Pinot Noir. Against the explicit advice of his UC Davis professors, he planted the first vines on February 22, 1965, in a nursery plot in Corvallis while searching for the ideal hillside site. He and his new wife Diana officially established The Eyrie Vineyards in 1966 on a former orchard in the Dundee Hills, about 30 miles southwest of Portland. Diana named the estate after a pair of red-tailed hawks that nested in the fir trees at the top of the vineyard site.

• David Lett moved to Oregon in 1965 with 3,000 grape cuttings, against the advice of his UC Davis viticulture professors
• The Eyrie Vineyards was officially founded in 1966 when David and Diana Lett planted their estate in the Red Hills of Dundee
• David is credited with the first plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley; the Pinot Gris was also the first in the United States
• The first vintage produced and bottled at Eyrie was 1970; the winery itself is based in McMinnville

The watershed moment for both Eyrie and Oregon wine came at the Gault-Millau Wine Olympics of 1979, a competition held in Paris featuring 330 wines from 33 countries evaluated by 62 judges. In the Pinot Noir category, the 1975 Eyrie Vineyards Reserve placed in the top ten, finishing ahead of many celebrated Burgundies. Burgundy producer Robert Drouhin, skeptical of the result, organized a formal rematch in January 1980 in the Hall of the Justice of Dukes of Burgundy in Beaune. The Eyrie 1975 Reserve came in second, losing to Drouhin's own 1959 Chambolle-Musigny by only two-tenths of a point. The result persuaded Drouhin to invest in Oregon: by 1987 the Drouhin family had purchased land in the Dundee Hills and established Domaine Drouhin Oregon.

• The 1979 Gault-Millau Wine Olympics in Paris featured 330 wines from 33 countries; the 1975 Eyrie Reserve Pinot Noir placed in the top ten in the Pinot Noir category
• Robert Drouhin organized a rematch in Beaune in January 1980; Eyrie came second, behind Drouhin's 1959 Chambolle-Musigny by just 0.2 points
• The tastings established Oregon as a serious cool-climate Pinot Noir region in the eyes of the international wine world
• Drouhin purchased land in the Dundee Hills and founded Domaine Drouhin Oregon in 1987, becoming the first European family to invest in Oregon wine

All five Eyrie estate vineyards are situated on south-facing slopes in the Dundee Hills AVA, with plantings at varying altitudes. The dominant soil type is Jory, a deep, iron-rich, red volcanic clay that was deposited as basalt flows 15 to 17 million years ago. Over millennia, the surface of the basalt decomposed into a red soil overlying a layer of rounded basalt cobble. This structure allows heavy winter rains to drain freely while the underground cobbles retain enough moisture to support dry-farmed vines through Oregon's dry summers. The combination of volcanic soil, maritime-influenced cool climate, and elevation gives the wines their characteristic brightness, acidity, and longevity. Jory was designated Oregon's official state soil in 2011.

• All five estate vineyards total approximately 60 acres, all situated on south-facing slopes within the Dundee Hills AVA
• Jory soil, formed from basalt volcanic flows 15 to 17 million years ago, provides excellent drainage while retaining summer moisture for dry-farmed vines
• Jory soil was officially designated Oregon's state soil on May 23, 2011
• Vineyard elevations at Eyrie range from approximately 220 feet at the Sisters vineyard to nearly 890 feet at the Daphne vineyard

From the outset, the philosophy at Eyrie has been minimal intervention, in both vineyard and cellar. The vines are grown on their own roots without irrigation, and farming has always excluded insecticides, herbicides, and systemic fungicides. The estate is certified organic and practices regenerative no-till viticulture. In the winery, this means minimal racking, extended lees contact, spontaneous native yeast fermentations, no fining, and minimal filtration. Jason Lett, David's son, returned to Eyrie as winemaker in 2005. While preserving his father's foundational principles, Jason introduced fully wild yeast fermentations, released single-vineyard Pinot Noirs for the first time, and developed a rigorous 21-step cellar certification process for library wine releases. David Lett, known locally as Papa Pinot, died on October 9, 2008; Jason has served as president and winemaker ever since.

• Vines are own-rooted, dry-farmed, and certified organic; no insecticides, herbicides, or systemic fungicides are used
• Cellar approach: spontaneous native yeast fermentations, minimal racking, extended lees contact, no fining, minimal filtration
• Jason Lett took over as winemaker in 2005, introducing fully wild yeast fermentations and the first single-vineyard Pinot Noir releases in Eyrie's history
• David Lett, founder and pioneering winemaker, died October 9, 2008; Jason Lett is now president and winemaker

Total annual production at Eyrie is approximately 9,000 to 10,000 cases, all estate-grown and produced. The portfolio centers on Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, which together account for roughly two-thirds of plantings on the estate's approximately 60 to 62 acres. Beyond these, the winery produces Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Muscat Ottonel, Trousseau, and Chasselas Dore. Under Jason Lett, Eyrie now releases five single-vineyard Pinot Noirs: The Eyrie, Daphne, Roland Green, Sisters, and Outcrop. The Outcrop vineyard was purchased in 2011, with the first vintage in 2012. The legendary South Block Reserve Pinot Noir was discontinued after the 2007 vintage, which was David Lett's final wine. The Original Vines bottlings come from the founding Eyrie Vineyard, planted in 1966.

• Annual production is approximately 9,000 to 10,000 cases; all wines are estate-grown and produced
• Five single-vineyard Pinot Noirs are released: The Eyrie, Daphne, Roland Green, Sisters, and Outcrop
• Portfolio also includes Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Muscat Ottonel, Trousseau, and Chasselas Dore
• The South Block Reserve was discontinued after the 2007 vintage; the Original Vines bottlings continue from the founding 1966 plantings

David Lett's decision to plant Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley against expert advice in 1965 set the trajectory for an entire industry. Today the Dundee Hills are the Willamette Valley's most densely planted, highest-value grape ground, and Pinot Noir is Oregon's leading variety. Lett was among the earliest of a cohort of pioneering growers, alongside Dick Erath of Erath Winery and Dick and Nancy Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards, who recognized the Willamette Valley's affinity for Burgundian varieties. The 1979 and 1980 international tastings gave Oregon a global profile and directly inspired Drouhin's investment in the Dundee Hills. The Lett family retains complete ownership of the estate, preserving its status as one of the most historically significant wine producers in the United States.

• David Lett was among the first wave of pioneering Willamette Valley growers in the 1960s, alongside Dick Erath and Dick and Nancy Ponzi
• The Dundee Hills are now the Willamette Valley's most densely planted, highest-value grape ground, with Pinot Noir as Oregon's leading variety
• The 1979 and 1980 tastings directly inspired Robert Drouhin to invest in Oregon, founding Domaine Drouhin Oregon in 1987
• The Lett family retains complete independent ownership of the winery and all five estate vineyards