Eila Wines – Elegant Oregon pinot noirs and chardonnay. Newbie offer

BerserkerDay Archive (BerserkerDays 1-14) BerserkerDay 14 - January 27, 2023
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Eila Wines – Elegant Oregon pinot noirs and chardonnay. Newbie offer

Eila Wines is a new winery, in pursuit of making elegant, distinct cool weather wines from Willamette Valley.

Berserker Day 14 is the first time the wine has been offered commercially and I am excited to share the wines.

For BD14, I’m offering 30% off and complimentary ground shipping for orders of 4 bottles or more. You select which wines you want, but I do recommend getting at least one of each if you decide to buy, and I’ve created a few options to make the decision simpler.

To buy, go to www.eilawines.com/bd14/ Use code BD14 at checkout.

Background

I lived for several decades in the UK, in London. It was there that I developed a love of wine, in particular those from Burgundy. After returning to the US I began making a plan to create a winery, moving to Oregon and founded Eila Wines a few years ago with the goal of making outstanding wines from beautiful, unique sites. The first Eila vintage was in 2021 with 550 cases produced – 3 pinot noirs and a chardonnay.

I look for cooler, higher elevation sites, preferably with a larger clonal selection. I’ve been fortunate to be able to work with and take advice from a number of great people in the wine business. Stylistically I look to produce fresh, refined wines with depth, generally picking on the earlier side to retain acidity and site distinctiveness. I use whole cluster fermentation and some new oak.

With so many great wines in Oregon, it is hard to know one’s style without tasting. I am grateful that Brian Stotter and Rodrigo Braga volunteered to sample my wines and add their comments to this thread.

The wines available:

2021 VIOLET PINOT NOIR $65 ($45.40 with BD14 offer)

Sourced from BHV/Le Cadeau vineyard (600-700’ elevation) in the Chehalem Mountains AVA from blocks planted with 777, 667, Pommard, 115 and Mariafeld clones. The grapes were harvested 12 September 2021. Fermented using 27% whole cluster. Aged with 25% new oak (Taransaud and Francois Freres barrels)

189 cases produced. 12.6% ABV. pH 3.54.

2021 SCARLET PINOT NOIR $65 ($45.40 with BD14 offer)

Sourced from Prophet Vineyard in Eola-Amity AVA (440-600’ elevation). Harvested 22 September 2021 from sections planted with Pommard and Coury clones. Fermented using 25% whole cluster. Aged with 20% new oak (Mercurey barrel).

120 cases produced. 13.6% ABV. 3.67 pH.

2021 INDIGO PINOT NOIR $65 ($45.40 with BD14 offer)

Sourced from Witness Tree Vineyard in the Eola-Amity AVA (from a Pommard clone block at 500’ elevation). Harvested 8 September 2021. Fermented using 38% whole cluster. Aged in 40% new oak oak (Quintessence and Taransaud barrels).

121 cases produced. 13.1% ABV. 3.49 pH.

2021 CHARDONNAY $65 ($45.40 with BD14 offer)

Sourced from Von Oehsen Vineyard in the Eola-Amity AVA (400-500’ elevation), from a section planted with CH95 clone. Harvested 6 September 2021. Crushed then pressed, fermented in 228L and 500L barrels. Stored on lees with minimal battonage. 42% new oak from a Damy puncheon.

109 cases produced. 12.7% ABV. 3.22 pH

Multi-Pack

If you have trouble deciding, I have put together two options:

BERSERKER DAY SAMPLE PACK $182 with BD14 offer – one bottle of each Eila wine (chardonnay, Indigo, Scarlet, Violet) $182

BERSERKER DAY PINOT PACK $273 with BD14 offer – 2 bottles of each pinot noir (Indigo, Scarlet, Violet)

Go to www.eilawines.com/bd14/ to purchase and use code BD14 for the offer

SHIPPING

We are offering complimentary ground shipping on all orders of 4 or more bottles. Most orders ship via UPS. Buyers local to the Portland area can choose ‘pick up’ and I’ll deliver the wines.

Shipping will begin in early February, weather permitting.

I currently can ship to every state except AR, DE, MI, MS, MT, NJ, RI, SD, UT

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I’ve already went on various diatribes about how much of a no brainer signing up Monopole Cru is on several occasions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), but if anyone needs more convincing, the possibility of being ‘Newbie taster’ is probably one of the coolest perks on the list.

Peter was awesome enough to send over four bottles of his his first ever vintage for free for me to sample and share with a few friends to review ahead of the offer.

I was very impressed with all of them. I tasted the Chardonnay one day and then all three Pinots blind the following day. Definitely check out his wines

Peter mentioned he prefers elegant Pinots from cooler sites and his wines reflect that well. They are low octane, fresh and with good acidity to balance things out. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then I recommend checking out Peter’s wines. My tasting notes on them below:

  • 2021 Eila Wines Chardonnay - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (1/26/2023)

    Sourced from the Von Oehsen Vineyard in Eola-Amity. Quite delicate and lacy on the nose with white flowers, key lime meringue, feuilletage, and frangipane. On the palate it’s clean and precise with medium acid with a long layered finish. As Peter mentioned in his offer, the wine see 42% new oak coming from a single 500L Damy puncheon. For my palate, the oak influence it’s on the subtler side of things, just rounding things out in the background. Very enjoyable. Those that enjoy a lighter, delicate and balanced Chards will enjoy this.

    ABV: bottle notes 12.5%; Peter’s website notes 12.7% (the more up to date number)
    Closure: natural cork
    Stem: Grassl Liberte
    Decant: N/A; tasted over the course of ~6h

  • 2021 Eila Wines Pinot Noir Violet - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (1/26/2023)

    Sourced from Le Cadeau vineyard (600-700’ elevation) in the Chehalem Mountains AVA from blocks planted with 777, 667, Pommard, 115 and Mariafeld clones. Filled with concentrated red fruits, strawberries, cherries, raspberries. Notes of kirsch, lilacs, and a touch of clove, cinnamon in the background. On the palate much the same, with bright and sappy red fruits, medium svelt tannins and tangy acids. For those that prefer their Pinots on the fruitier side with mellower tannins and acid. Fermented using 27% whole cluster. Aged with 25% new oak (Taransaud and Francois Freres barrels). 189 cases produced.

    ABV: bottle notes 12.7%, but Peter’s website notes 12.6% (the more up to date number)
    Closure: natural cork
    Stem: Grassl Cru
    Decant: N/A; tasted over the course of ~6h

  • 2021 Eila Wines Pinot Noir Indigo - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (1/26/2023)

    Sourced from Witness Tree Vineyard in the Eola-Amity AVA (from a Pommard clone block at 500’ elevation). The most structured of the Eila Pinots I sampled. A lovely mix between fruit, herbs and soil tones. Blueberry, boysenberry, red plum alongside clove, aniseed, carob, dried orange peel, and basalt. Quite livery acid and mouth-coating silky tannins. Very good mid-palate concentration and long sapid finish. Really enjoyed this and my favourite of the Eila Pinots sampled. For those that enjoy structured Pinots with tannins and acid. Fermented using 38% whole cluster. Aged in 40% new oak oak (Quintessence and Taransaud barrels). 121 cases produced

    ABV: bottle notes 13.0%, but Peter’s website notes 13.1% (the more up to date number)
    Closure: natural cork
    Stem: Grassl Cru
    Decant: N/A; tasted over the course of ~6h

  • 2021 Eila Wines Pinot Noir Scarlet - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (1/26/2023)

    Sourced from Prophet Vineyard in Eola-Amity AVA (440-600’ elevation) from sections planted with Pommard and Coury clones. The darker toned, and more brooding one of the bunch. Tart dark red and black cherries, blackberries, iris flowers, and a good amount of oak spice on the nose with Chinese five spice, vanillin, rhubarb, a touch of leather and raw cocoa nibs. Velvety tannins with bright, tart and mouth-puckering acidity. For those that like their Pinots a touch darker. Fermented using 25% whole cluster. Aged with 20% new oak (Mercurey barrel). 120 cases produced

    ABV: 13.6%
    Closure: natural cork
    Stem: Grassl Cru
    Decant: N/A; tasted over the course of ~6h

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I am a Monopole Crü member and received the Eila wines free of charge for newbie tasting. Peter produced an enjoyable set of wines and this is a great showing for his inaugural vintage. They certainly stick to his winemaking philosophy, as I found them collectively to be fresh, balanced, and elegant wines that retain depth and complexity. He employs judicious use of new French oak to let the wines speak for themselves. I tasted them over two days.

2021 Eila Wines Chardonnay

Very mineral on the nose, giving way to pretty citrus aromas of lime zest, lemon oil, and freshly-sliced grapefruit. Lean and racy, yet subtle on the palate, with delicate fruit flavors that straddle the line of yellow citrus and cantaloupe. Just a fine touch of oak on the finish with some faint butter and vanilla notes. I do enjoy the gravelly mineral core of this wine. Drinks slightly better at just above cellar temperature than chilled.

2021 Eila Wines Pinot Noir Violet

Elegance is the theme here, as Peter points out. Beautiful nose of juicy cranberries and red cherries with a touch of mocha. On the second day I was able to coax more floral and earthy aromas out that complemented the red fruit. Focused and lithe on the palate, the red fruit is there but the earthy flavors of wet leaves and damp soil take center stage. It gives me the feeling of harvesting cranberries in a cold autumn morning.

2021 Eila Wines Pinot Noir Indigo

Darker and more concentrated in color than Violet and darker fruited on the nose as well. Prominent black cherry and blackberry on the palate, with a touch of espresso, black pepper, and damp soil. This wine is dark, spicy, and alluring. The most structured of the three pinots, I think this wine can turn into something interesting with longer term cellaring with the support of its fine tannins and acids that linger over a long finish.

2021 Eila Wines Pinot Noir Scarlet

Richer on the nose compared to the other two pinots, though not overly ripe or bombastic, with a lovely purity of stewed strawberries, bing cherries, red florals (particularly rose petals), espresso powder, and a touch of orange peel. This wine is elegant like the others, but bigger and more mouth coating with flavors of black cherries, raspberries, and a touch of stems. I particularly enjoyed the fresh acidity that provides brightness to the red fruit in this deep and brooding wine. My favorite of the three pinot noirs and paired best with food for me.

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Peter freakin’ SCORED with these two tasters!

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Just ordered a sampler and a couple extra chards thanks to Brian and Rodrigo’s tasting notes. Thanks!

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Fantastic! Thanks for the order Anthony

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On my one and only visit to the Willamette Valley just a few years back, I found that I enjoyed pinot noirs that were raised on maritime soils rather than volcanic. Are the Eola-Amity vineyards are mostly volcanic soils? Not sure about Chehalem Mtns soils. Perhaps this is a false dichotomy?

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I hope you have a very successful Berserker debut!

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Most of the Eola-Amity vineyards have volcanic soils. Witness Tree does, if memory serves correct. Prophet has a mix of both volcanic and marine sediment. In Chehalem, it depends what section. Le Cadeau vineyard has a Jory/Nekia/Witzel soil mix

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Thanks Todd!

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You bet!

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Ordered a Pinot 6-pack + two Chards, excited to try this winery! The great TNs definitely pushed me over the edge

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Many thanks Mark!

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I will mention that I just had my last bits of the Chardonnay and Scarlet earlier today, and they held up quite well. Loved some of the mocha and chocolate notes I was getting from the Scarlet in particular.

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Thanks for the notes. Put in an order. Excited!

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Hi Brian, I really appreciated the reviews you and Rodrigo wrote

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Took a flyer on these based on the notes posted. Excited to try them out for myself.

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Great TNs for sure. These sound right up my alley esp w the low abv. Order in!

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Thanks for all the support today!