Description
I first tasted this in San Francisco, sitting in the sunshine with some excellent food. We thought it was obscenely good at the time, but couldn’t quite justify the quantity of their entry-level wine we’d have needed to take in order to buy it.
A month or so later when it was the only American wine to be awarded 97 points and Best in Show at the 2023 Decanter World Wine Awards, I was not surprised and kicking myself!
But funny things are happening in the world of U.S. wine — and there are deals to be had. So when a parcel of Archery Summit Dundee Hills Pinot showed up direct from the estate and looking for a buyer, I jumped at it!
Archery Summit has been a standard-bearer for Oregon Pinot since 1993, producing wines that marry site-driven nuance with polished, modern winemaking. The estate spans five distinct vineyards, each with its own soils, clones, and microclimate. Their style is all about precision: gentle handling in the cellar, subtle use of oak, and a refusal to flatten complexity for the sake of consistency.
2021 was a vintage to remember. A hot, dry summer gave way to cooler September nights, keeping acidity fresh while concentrating character. Fruit was hand-picked and fermented in a mix of stainless steel, concrete, and wood — with just 15% whole cluster to lift the aromatics — then aged gently in 12% new oak.
The result is a deep dive into what makes Dundee Hills so special: layered, expressive Pinot with notes of brambleberry, Rainier cherry, and blackberry blossom, backed by cocoa, spice, and a minerally, juicy finish. Lifted. Precise. Quietly structured.
This is stunning wine, and finding it at around half its usual price? Even better.