Description
Arterberry Maresh, Dundee Hills Pinot Noir
Buyer beware? No, buyer be aware of today’s exquisite, virtually perfect Pinot Noir and make an immediate vow to buy a case because it will not survive here, or anywhere else, for long. We’re certain of it: After enduring a three-day gauntlet in the Willamette Valley last month—where we hit 15+ wineries and tasted nearly 200 wines—we’ve emerged with Arterberry Maresh’s Dundee Hills, what we believe to be the region’s greatest 2019 Pinot Noir value. The story follows…
When we pulled up to Maresh’s iconic red barn, our longtime Oregon liaison leaned over and whispered “the press for the new releases is insane.” Not to be influenced, we ignored the numbers, as we’re wont to do, and proceeded into the barn. There, we met one of the valley’s most eccentric, relaxed, down-to-earth winemakers: Jim Maresh. No lineup was awaiting us, no elaborate spread or starched collars either. It was just Jim, by himself, packing up some orders in sweatpants. He hardly missed a beat in his work, yet the ambiance and dialogue were so casual, it was as if we were lifelong neighbors. The entire tasting was impromptu/arbitrary, as he kept disappearing into the cellar to find the next surprise bottle, and yet, each Pinot was so focused, perfumed, pure—mind-blowing. Although most weren’t available for sale, he had just enough of the 2019 Dundee Hills remaining, an “entry-level” Pinot that would obliterate myriad $50-75 Burgundies. Eventually, the 2019 scores were brought up, and still, he stayed exceedingly modest, never going beyond comments like “pretty good results” or “I’m proud of this bottling.” That’s because his wines do all the talking, and while we don’t promote scores, I’m promoting the hell out of this $34 cuvée! It’s going to stun you, assuming you’re quick enough on the draw.
Arterberry Maresh comes from one of the founding families of Willamette Valley wine, whose old-vine parcel in the Dundee Hills is a critical piece of Oregon wine history—a landmark to rival the trailblazing Eyrie Vineyard. It seems that no matter how many times we are floored by a Pinot Noir from this region, another one comes along and raises the bar. Now it is wunderkind winemaker Jim Maresh, a third-generation Dundee Hills grower, who has raised the bar to a seemingly insurmountable height; the amount of nuance, aromatic complexity, and pure Pinot Noir character this wine delivers at this price simply defies logic.
I consider it the ultimate win-win when we can offer a wine that is both an exceptional value and made by a reference-point producer—a “teachable moment,” if you will. In the late 1950s, Jim and Loie Maresh bought a farm in the Dundee Hills and began growing assorted fruits and other crops. Shortly after David Lett of Eyrie planted what was said to be the first Pinot Noir vines in the Willamette Valley, Jim and Loie—encouraged by another Willamette Valley luminary, Dick Erath—planted their first grapevines, in 1970. That original site, called the Maresh (pronounced “Marsh”) vineyard, is the fifth-oldest vineyard in the Valley and a key fruit source for today’s wine—a “Grand Cru” if Oregon had such things!
Jim and Loie’s daughter, Martha Maresh, married Willamette Valley winemaker Fred Arterberry, whose eponymous label was well-known and well-regarded, thanks in no small part to prime Pinot fruit from the Maresh Vineyard. Arterberry Winery closed after Fred’s untimely death in 1990, and for many years the fruit from the Maresh site was used in acclaimed vineyard-designated bottlings from other producers. But when Jim Maresh, Jr., Fred and Martha’s son, established his label in 2005, he brought it back into the family fold.
Given how “young” Oregon’s wine industry is, it’s rare to hear tell of a “third-generation” winegrower in the region, and in fact, Jim Maresh, Jr. may be the only one. Although he sources from an assortment of top Dundee Hills sites, Jim’s crown jewel is his grandfather’s organic, dry-farmed “Maresh” vines surrounding the family’s iconic red barn. His 2019 Dundee Hills is largely from the younger vines in this historic vineyard. Soils here are mostly “Jory,” a silty clay/loam derived from igneous (i.e. volcanic) rock. The wine aged over 15 months in mostly neutral French oak and was bottled without fining or filtration. In essence: nothing added, nothing removed, perfect integration.
Arterberry Maresh’s 2019 Dundee Hills is an absolute joy to drink right now. Given a 30-minute decant it spills into a large Burgundy stem with a vibrant ruby-purple core and returns a wonderful array of delicately ripe berries: damp strawberry, cherry, bergamot peel, spiced red plum, cool blue fruits, red/purple flowers, baking spice, pine, and crushed earth. The palate is silky and plush with a light mineral core providing complexity to each softly textured layer. It certainly has the stuffing to evolve in a positive direction for the next 3-5 years but I imagine once you pull the first cork, you’ll be using any and all excuses to open your remainders ASAP!
