Arterberry Maresh Pinot noir Dundee Hills 09
Reccommended by the SF Chronicle 10-22-2011
Amazing value. Let me explain: you take some 1970-planted Maresh Vineyard Pommard and add in more Maresh Pinot, plus fruit from the esteemed Juliard and Winderlea Vineyards and put it in a bottle for under $25. Yep, Jim declassified some of his best fruit because it was a little "bigger" than he likes for the Maresh. Lucky us, since that makes his Dundee Hills packed with flavor, slightly spicy red fruit brimming out of the glass. At 13.8%, I wouldn't exactly call this "big," but I would call it smoking good. - Marcus
San Francisco Chronicle: "Jim Maresh shows off the best of both his family's Maresh vineyard and the Dundee Hills' red soils. This basic bottle is rewarding, with a stellar polish to its texture. A delicacy is at work for fruit that shows off a subtler side of the vintage. Slightly spicy, revealing a soy and tangerine edge to rich cherry flavors." - Jon Bonne
Avalon friend Christina Kelly on Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills Pinot noir 09
I eyeballed the label on the 2009 Arterberry Maresh pinot noir, saw a simple white label, 13 percent alcohol and a note on the back label stating the vines were non-irrigated. My immediate thought was this was going to be a light, simple pinot noir that would gently mingle with, and compliment, a grilled piece of salmon.
When I discovered there was no salmon in the refrigerator, I selected a small pork tenderloin roast that I sliced into medallions, coated with Italian seasonings and olive oil and gently sautéed with black truffle oil to bring out a little earthiness in the pinot, if it had any.
The moment I opened the wine, I knew I had underestimated what was contained inside. It smelled sexy; it poured like silk and it coated my glass with a thickness than showed more heft than a thin pinot would give up. And the color was dark ruby, also unexpected.
"Raspberries," said my husband when he stuck his nose in the glass. "I smell raspberries and strawberries.
Upon tasting, we both noted juicy cherries, a wisp of smoke and spice on the long finish. By the time we paired it with the pork and truffle oil, and mushroom risotto, the earthiness revealed itself in the pinot and we were cleaning up our plates. Both my husband and I caught ourselves looking over at the bottle to see how much was left.
That glass of pinot had balance—nothing out of place, with a sweetness (not sugar-sweet) that you find in good pinot noir. Our meal stretched longer because we wanted to savor the wine with the food.
It wasn't big and over-extracted and it wasn't thin and insignificant. As cliché as it sounds....It was just right--seamless, lovely and yielding up a mouthful of chiseled, but delicate red fruits. If this wine was ever described as feminine, I would agree that it has the delicacy of a piano players hands, along with the strength to play Rachmaninoff.
I would also call it an honest-to-goodness date-with-homemade-dinner wine. And, under $25, it feels like you've splurged and leaves you wanting more.
- Christina Kelly
Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
Arterberry Maresh Pinot noir Dundee Hills 08 - Forward, juicy and earthy, the 08 Dundee Hills delivers a ton of mixed berry, black currant and flash of tart cherry. The straight forward fruit is accented by briar-patch and wood-spice. Unlike your average value Oregon Pinot, Jim's Dundee Hills gets "the treatment" that his single-vineyard wines do: a full 16 months in barrel to allow for a seamless wine. This is going to fly. - Marcus
Given the incredible quality of the 2008 vintage, Jim declassified a lot less to make a mere 131 cases of Dundee Hills. The majority of fruit came from the Holstein Vineyard, with significant chunks of Maresh and Juiliard.
We have a little of the 2007 vintage available. Please call or email to order. 541-752-7418.
Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
Arterberry Maresh Pinot noir Dundee Hills 07 - Fantastic value in classic Oregon Pinot noir. Fresh cherries and pie cherry expand to raspberry and brighter blueberry, with shavings of fresh cinnamon stick. Like the 07 Maresh Vineyard, there's a sweet edge that has nothing to do with sugar, and everything to do with the essence of Pinot noir. Very silky, with a ribbon of dried thyme and Dundee Hills minerality. Beautiful, higher-toned fruit grows in complexity with air, and we recommend decanting or cellaring for 1-2 years.
The Dundee Hills 07 is made primarily from Maresh Vineyard, with the youngest planted in 1992, and the oldest in 1970. Jim's one barrel of White Rose Vineyard went into the 2007 Dundee Hills.
2006 Vintage Tasting Notes
An ethereal and elegant example of 2006 Pinot noir. Jim's style emphasizes texture, and the Dundee Hills 06 shows its seamless, supple body at first sip. Picked a bit earlier than most 2006 Pinots, it retained a beautiful thread of acidity that's woven around juicy dark plums and berries, with subtle notes of clay and anise on the finish. The wine is made from declassified, old vine fruit from a very well-known Dundee Hills vineyard (eh hem) and reflects it's origin. A freakin' great value. The Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills Pinot noir 06 is made from fruit that does not quite meet the standards of the phenomenal Arterberry maresh Pinot noir 06. Prince of Pinot says: " Displaying a lighter crimson color than the other two Arterberry wines, the nose is classic Chambolle with hi- toned red cherry, baking spice and oak. Redder fruits including strawberry are nicely weighted and balanced with bright acidity and subtle oak tannins. The flavors and aromas dissipate with time and air. A comforting Pinot that the Pinot Geek likes to drink now".
