2017 Rose & Arrow Estate 1st Red Dust Worden Hill Pinot Noir

Chapter 24 Vineyards’ debut wine was a 2012 Pinot Noir, and by 2015 Wine & Spirts Magazine was calling one of the estate’s 2013 wines “one of the 100 best wines of the year.” Despite being a relatively young venture, Chapter 24 comes with a pedigree. Its founder is Mark Tarlov, a Hollywood producer and director who also founded Evening Land Vineyards in 2006. Louis-Michel Liger-Belair of Burgundy’s famous Château de Vosne is consulting winemaker, working alongside Chapter 24 Director of Viticulture Ryan Hannaford. The estate’s name is taken from the final chapter of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and is meant to refer to the idea of final resolution, as in grapes ending up as fine wine. The estate focuses on Pinot Noir.

Dundee Hills AVA is in Yamhill County, and it is entirely contained within the Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon’s best known appellation. Dundee Hills is about 30 miles southwest of Portland, and has 1,300 vineyard acres. It was awarded AVA status in 2004 and, like much of Oregon, is known for Pinot Noir. Several of Oregon’s 20th century wine pioneers established their vineyards and wineries in Dundee Hills, adding to its status as a region long-recognized for producing high quality, iconic Oregon wines. Eyrie Vineyards, Erath Winery and Sokol Blosser remain some of Oregon’s most celebrated producers, and all were founded in what is now Dundee Hills in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.