Cameron Arley's Leap Pinot noir 09

The 2009 Arley's Leap is more deeply colored and a bit more structured [than his other reviewed wines.] A hint of herbs, spices, floral notes, cherry, and raspberry inform the nose of a sweetly-fruited, velvety-textured, nicely proportioned, lengthy wine that will provide enjoyment over the next 6-8 years. - Jay Miller - Wine Advocate 91 points

2008 Vintage Tasting Notes

Named after Bill Wayne’s magnificent and long-ago departed dog, Arley, this is truly one of the great red wines of the Dundee Hills. The vines were planted in 1990 from several of the best Clos Electrique clones and have never failed to impress. As they approach 20 years of age, the resulting wine is becoming even more complex and elegant. The very small crop in 2008 adds intensity to a wine that already has plenty of it. - the winery

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

Memorializing a long gone, beloved dog Arley and his leap.

"Our oldest vineyard and perhaps the most unique is this 22 acre gem located high in the Dundee Hills. The oldest vines were planted in 1976 and these consistently produce some of the best wines in the cellar. A younger block of Pinot noir was planted in 1990 to multiple clones taken from the Clos Electrique vineyard." - the winery

Known as Arley's Leap, the vineyard was named after Bill and Julia's dear, old departed dog, Arley, whose most famous leap was from a balcony in Victoria when he was startled by a cat.

At Cameron only organic sprays are used on the grapes. Moisture levels in the soil of this non-irrigated vineyard are managed by a rotating system of cover crops and tilled (or clean cultivated) areas. By adjusting mowed height of the cover crops relative to rainfall, appropriate quantities of water can be retained in the soil for the vines. The older vines have extremely deep roots to take advantage of moisture there during the dry, late summer months. Abbey Ridge is one of the highest vineyards in the Red Hills of Dundee and is generally harvested relatively late (mid-October for the Pinot noir and mid to late October for the white varieties). This situation produces fruit with high natural acidities and wines with tremendous aging potential. Yields average 2.0-2.5 tons per acre for the Pinot noirs (27-34 hl/Hectare) and 2.0-3.0 tons per acre for the white varieties (27- 40 hl/Hectare)." - Winery Notes