2014 Iris Vineyards Pinot Noir Coastal Ranges Oregon 750 ml

The Future of Oregon Pinot Noir

Infused with flamboyant aromas of sweet black cherry and black raspberry, framed by cedar and sweet spice, juicy yet still light on its feet, this is the most enticing under-$15 Oregon Pinot we’ve had in recent memory.

Iris Vineyards is one of the most exciting pioneers in Oregon viticulture right now, putting out elegant, high-toned coastal Pinot Noirs that rank among the greatest values in the state. Iris Vineyards is pushing into Oregon’s Coast Range, sourcing fruit from rugged, steep slopes in a region that industry insiders are calling the next big thing. Winemaker Aaron Lieberman, a veteran of DePonte Cellars, worked magic in the warm 2014 growing season.

Squeezed between the roaring Pacific Ocean and the misty, fertile Willamette Valley lies Oregon’s mountainous Coast Range. It’s a region you’re going to start hearing a lot more about. This rocky, rugged stretch of land was once an ancient seabed, some 30 million years old. Tectonic pressure gradually pushed the land up to form the mountains of today, creating soils loaded with marine sediment and volcanic basalt—ideal terroir for cultivating Burgundian varieties. To the east, the vineyards of Willamette Valley actually see more of a measured continental climate, the influence of the sea blocked by the rolling hills. But Coast Range plots like those worked by pioneers such as Iris Vineyards and Trisaetum show true maritime influence, infused with saline freshness, racy, piercing acidity, and superb minerality.

Founded by Richard Boyles and Pamela Frye, the winery sits on an 800-acre farm in the Lorane Valley, about 20 minutes southwest of Eugene. The jewel of the property is the 50-acre Chalice Vineyard, so-named for its cupped shape, occupying a kind of south-facing amphitheater at between 800 and 1,000 feet in elevation, trapping just the right amount of heat. Grapes are pushed to the peak of ripeness but never over it. Nights are cool, allowing for a slow maturation that results in the kind of nuance you’d expect from a Côte de Nuits Pinot Noir.

As temperatures have slowly ticked up over the years, truly coastal vineyards like this one have entered a sweet spot that is perfect for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2014 vintage, in particular, proved a benchmark year, showing just how much potential this area holds. Wine Spectator rated the vintage—one of the earliest and warmest in a generation—a historic high of 96 points. Meanwhile, Vinous raved that 2014 is “a vintage that’s at least the equal of 2012”—considered by some, Oregon’s greatest vintage ever.

If this wine was $30, it’d be one of the most compelling bottles of the vintage, a taste of the future of coastal Oregon wine. At $14.99? There’s no question—this is must-buy for collectors of high-toned, fresh and balanced Pinot Noir.