Argyle Winery was founded in 1987 by Rollin Soles as a ‘Grower First’ with the purpose of making world class Sparkling Wine in the perfectly suited true cool climate of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
What began as an conviction to grow grapes for sparkling expanded to an ambition to build our legacy through the long lives of our wines that could challenge the very best Sparkling Wines, Riesling, Chardonnay & Pinot Noir from across the globe.
Continuing in the stylistic tradition to which Argyle has remained true for decades, Winemaker Nate Klostermann has been recognized for making graceful and complex sparkling wines, along with vibrant and impeccably balanced Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Rieslings.
The backbone of Argyle’s decades of consistent high quality has been squarely built by vineyards that we have farmed for decades in the Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs. The exactingly precise vineyard rows are the lines in the Argyle fingerprint, unique to us as a truly one-of-a-kind proposition.
Nate and the winemaking team work in extremely small lots to preserve the nuance and complexity of Argyle’s estate fruit. Nate’s focus on innovation includes doing more skin soaking to tease out the character and spice of Argyle’s Rieslings, and experimenting with small amounts of whole clusters to accentuate the depth and nuance of the winery’s Pinot Noirs. Additional areas of experimentation include harvesting at various ripeness levels to enhance the cool-climate energy and layered complexity of the wines, as well as fine-tuning the dosage program to create evermore dynamic and terroir-driven sparkling wines.
Perhaps the greatest area of innovation and experimentation at Argyle can be found in the winery’s renowned Extended Tirage program, which has set the standard for New World sparkling wine, earning the highest scores for any sparkling wines made outside of Champagne.
Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir thrives in Willamette Valley's long growing seasons with cool autumn breezes and sunny days. This culmination of extra time on the vine yields aromatics of crunchy dried leaves, pomegranate molasses, black tea leaves, and tart cherries. Earthy undertones and great textured tannins that continue to smooth out with time - adding to the body and longevity.
Review:
Rich and polished, this Pinot offers multilayered raspberry and blueberry flavors. Shows dusky spice and fresh forest floor accents while building structure toward refined tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
Corne Loup Lirac Rouge is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre
Dry - less than 4 grams/liter
Color: dark red ruby.
Aromas: red berries, truffles and spices.
Flavors: complex and rich. It shows red and black fruits, with an herbal spice type of aromas coming from the surrounding vegetation (Garrigue).
The average age of the vines is 40 years. (The oldest vines are 80 years old).
The soil is mainly sandy marl and small pebble stones.
Pairs with lamb, duck, turkey, red meat, game and cheese.
Rutherford Ranch Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Rich and vibrant with classic Rutherford Cabernet tannins, dark cherry mingled with toasty oak, sweet oak and sweet sage lingering on the palate.
The base for our Reserve Cabernet is from the world-renowned Rutherford appellation, which is home to our Abela and Franklin estate vineyards. Perfect climatic conditions and the region’s deep, loamy, well-drained soils produce dark, intensely flavored Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our rich soil sets the foundation for an exquisite, cellar-ready wine that will evolve in character and quality for years to come.
This Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful complement to ribeye steak, rack of lamb or mushroom risotto.
Review:
A flint and gunpowder nose leads to bold graphite, blueberry and tobacco flavors in this full-bodied wine that is laced with a high level of fine-grained tannins. This wine is meant for aging, being so tightly packed with fruits and minerals and having the structure to keep it fresh while more complex flavors develop over time. Best from 2028–2038.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points