2019 Archery Summit Pinot Gris Vireton Willamette Valley
2019 Archery Summit Pinot Gris Vireton Willamette Valley This 2019 stainless-steel fermented Pinot Gris is loaded with rich and sappy flavors of ripe melon, guava and peach. It has plentiful acidity to keep it lifted and bright, and the power through the finish is exceptional.
Archery Summit Winery
Gary Andrus launched Archery Summit in 1993, infatuated by Pinot Noir and the capacity the Willamette Valley seemed to have for it. The Dundee Hills in particular caught his eye, because it shares similar growing conditions with Burgundy, France, and some of the most acclaimed Pinot Noir vineyards on earth.
A veteran winemaker with a résumé full of award-winning Napa Valley wines, Andrus sharpened his craft at sister winery Pine Ridge Vineyards. He founded that label in 1978, going on to specialize in vineyard-designate wines, tied tightly and evocatively to the sites they pulled from.
The spirit of site-specific wine persists at Archery Summit. We have assembled an impressive family of vineyards over the years: five estate vineyards and three grower sites covering four unique American Viticultural Areas.
Because we focus on Pinot Noir—a telling variety to say the least—our commitment to terroir and the refined flavors of place has only grown. With a quarter century of winemaking experience, we are proud to have helped bring well-deserved fame to Willamette Valley wine and are eager to take it to even higher ground.
Winemaking Philosophy Our wines reflect long-standing relationships between seasoned winemakers, friends, viticulturists, and remarkable vineyards. We blend our wines to unearth the character of each vineyard, drawn to the synergies that exist within each site. We adjust our approach each year according to the vintage to create what we hope is an undeniable expression of each vineyard site.
Our cellar tactics are closely tied to our vineyard practices and vice versa. A series of tiny, interconnected tasks make our wines distinctive. If we delay a weekly topping, choose to cultivate a vineyard row sooner rather than later, or keep a wine in barrel too long, the wine says something different.
We make quality-driven decisions every day to ensure that the wine is healthy and expressive. We are always exploring, without ever losing site of deep-seated traditions. This artistic weaving—performed with conviction every vintage—has made Archery Summit into the brand it is today.
By cherishing the Dundee Hills, we strive to elevate your perception of what Willamette Valley wine can be. Part of that quest involves exploring and enhancing emerging styles, like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills and Dundee Hills. And while our intrepid team appreciates the Old World, we are steadfast in extending the Willamette Valley’s own winemaking legacy.
“We’re not making Burgundian wine here,” says winemaker Ian Burch. “Oregon is unique and offers its own distinctive voice.”
The winemaking team at Archery Summit is a tightly knit group of four, with, collectively, 53 harvests to their names. Such experience creates a symbiotic bond between producer and place. Ian and his staff interpret the vineyard rows and growing seasons with highly trained eyes, eager hands, and the prowess that comes from nearly three decades of winemaking.