Tasting Archery Summit’s 2010 Pinots, 2011 Rose
One of the big guns of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Archery Summit makes numerous, prized Pinot Noirs. We sat down — online — with winemaker Anna Matzinger and vineyard manager Leigh Bartholomew to get a walkthrough on three of the winery’s latest releases.
2010 Archery Summit Vireton Rose of Pinot Noir – Formerly made for employees only, Virteon is now sold direct to consumers and wine club members. Lots of fruit here, cherry tartness driven by the Pinot Noir grapes with a sweet and sour finish that almost recalls a glass of lemonade. Lots of acid, easygoing. B+ / $24
2010 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Premier Cuvee – The standard bottling from Archery Summit (and the one you’re most likely to encounter). This vintage (shaping up to be on the lackluster side for Oregon) is on the earthy side, with more of a dried herbal character to it. Bacon fat on the finish. I called this a “beginner Burgundy” just weeks ago when I reviewed a prior bottle, and that’s still apt. That said, I’m finding less character on the whole in this bottle than the last. A- / $40
2010 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Arcus Estate Dundee Hills (pictured, different vintage) – The fruit kicks up a notch here with a more vibrant, cherry-infused flavor. Acidic and tart, it conversely lacks some of that earthiness of the Premier Cuvee, with just a touch of flowery character on the finish. (Matzinger calls it violet; I’m on board with that.) This is marginally my favorite of the night thanks to the bigger body on it, but the price won’t be easy to swallow, I know. A- / $90
2010 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Arcus Estate Dundee Hills
$90
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