Willamette Valley producer tied to Dick Erath's pioneering planting and a 2023 Oregon Pinot Noir with black cherry, lively acidity and a soft finish.
The producer
Erath's history includes the 1975 partnership between Dick Erath and Cal Knudsen, the 1984 Wine & Spirits award for Vintage Select Pinot Noir, and Ste. Michelle Wine Estates' 2006 purchase of Erath Winery. The 2023 Oregon Pinot Noir is presented as 100% Pinot Noir at 13.5% alcohol, with black cherry, cola, strawberry compote, baking spice, lively acidity and a soft finish. Leah Adint served as head winemaker in Dundee beginning in July 2022.
Known for
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Notable facts
Dick Erath became the Willamette Valley's third grape grower after planting in 1969.
Wine & Spirits named Knudsen Erath's Vintage Select Pinot Noir the best American Pinot Noir in 1984.
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates bought Erath Winery in 2006.
Leah Adint served as head winemaker at Erath Winery in Dundee, Oregon, beginning in July 2022.
The story
The Vintage Select Award
In 1984, Wine & Spirits named Knudsen Erath's Vintage Select Pinot Noir the best American Pinot Noir. Vintage Select was the bottle singled out by the magazine while Dick Erath and Cal Knudsen were working under the partnership they had formed in 1975. Erath Winery had made its first wine in 1972, and by 1987 the winery was producing 35,000 cases annually. Erath and Knudsen separated in 1988, after which Dick continued to make wine under the Erath name. The award came before the 1988 separation, during the Knudsen Erath period.
From the atlas
Erath Vineyards
A Willamette Valley producer whose history runs from Dick Erath's early planting through Knudsen Erath to Oregon Pinot Noir.
At A Glance
Region
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Main grape
Pinot Noir
Signature wine
Erath Pinot Noir
Defining feature
Dick Erath became the valley's third grape grower in 1969
The Producer
Dick Erath moved from California to the Willamette Valley in 1968 intending to establish a vineyard. Erath Winery made its first wine in 1972, then Dick Erath and Cal Knudsen formed Knudsen Erath in 1975. By 1987, the winery was producing 35,000 cases annually. Erath and Knudsen separated in 1988, after which Dick continued to make wine under the Erath name.
The winemaking role later changed hands. Erath transitioned from Dick Erath to Gary Horner as principal winemaker in 2003. Leah Adint served as head winemaker at Erath Winery in Dundee, Oregon, beginning in July 2022. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates bought Erath Winery in 2006.
Place
The Willamette Valley is where Dick Erath planned his vineyard and began planting. Erath Winery has been associated with Dundee, Oregon. A separate urban tasting room was located in Portland's Historic Pearl District, where it offered limited release and reserve wines from an Oregon grown Erath portfolio.
Wines
Erath Pinot Noir is the named bottle represented here, with the 2023 vintage. Erath presents the 2023 Oregon Pinot Noir as 100% Pinot Noir at 13.5% alcohol. The portfolio has included limited release and reserve wines, and the 2023 journal discusses single vineyard wines described as relatively structured and weighty, with decanting recommended during their first few years.
In The Glass
The wine pours bright cranberry with scarlet highlights. Black cherry and cola lead the aroma, followed by a subtle trace of toasted oak. Lively acidity carries strawberry compote and gentle baking spice across the palate. The finish is soft, with delicacy alongside plush fruit.
A Bottle To Understand It
Open with Erath Pinot Noir. It is the Oregon Pinot Noir bottling, made in a 2023 vintage whose cellar journal records refined whole cluster and extended maceration work on Pinot Noir. The producer's single vineyard wines from that vintage can be decanted during their first few years. Begin with the Oregon bottling, then move to the more site specific wines.
Final Word
Erath joins Willamette Valley beginnings to Oregon Pinot Noir, with the range extending from an Oregon bottling to single vineyard wines.