2019 Red Electric Wines Pinot Noir Interurban Armstrong Vineyard Ribbon Ridge Oregon 750 ml

It’s not often you find a 93-point, single-vineyard Pinot Noir from a superstar AVA in a classic vintage for under $25. That’s why Red Electric’s Pinot Noir Interurban Armstrong Vineyard is such a rarity.

The wine hails from Ribbon Ridge, arguably Willamette Valley’s most prestigious AVA, a little jewel-box made famous by luminaries like Beaux-Frères and Bergström. Bold and brambly, this bottle is an absolutely stellar effort—James Suckling awarded it the same score as Ken Wright’s Bryce Vineyard Pinot ($65) and Antica Terra’s Ceras Pinot Noir ($151), plus many other much more expensive examples.

Winemaker John Grochau has been at it over 20 years now and has earned the respect of his colleagues vintage by vintage, bottle by bottle, after starting from nothing. He’s one of the best Oregon winemakers you’ve never heard of.

John, who we met back in 2005, partnered with his longtime friend Doug Ackerman for Red Electric, named for old streetcars that used to connect Portland with towns in Yamhill County. Ackerman planted the Armstrong Vineyard to an assortment of clones in 2007 and sold all the fruit for its first five years before holding some back to launch this brand with John. 

We’re not the only ones who noticed what a barnburning deal this wine is. Rusty Gaffney has been tasting and writing about American Pinot Noir for over 20 years now on his site, PinotFile, and he awarded this wine a great score, crowing that it’s “One helluva value in premium Pinot Noir!”

Humble and easygoing with a dry sense of humor, John is a 100% self-made guy who does not seek the limelight. He lets his wines do all the talking.