Erath wines have come a long way since Dick Erath first tried his hand at winemaking in his makeshift garage winery tucked in the Chehalem Mountains.
In his quest to find the perfect location for growing Pinot Noir, engineer-turned-viticulturist Erath found that the terroir and climate of Oregon made it a region where the variety could flourish.
The estate’s high northern latitude offers extended daylight hours during the growing season, while the Pacific Ocean’s cool breeze maintains a cool climate in summer and prevents frosts in the winter. There are many similarities with Pinot Noir’s homeland, Burgundy, however the distinct nature of the marine climate and jory soil lends Oregon Pinot Noirs their unique characteristics.
French winemaking and varietals always held a profound allure for Erath. After releasing his inaugural commercial wines in 1972, his intense fascination with French varietals led him to test more non-California clones. He soon became a pioneer in importing French clones to Oregon. As more winemakers followed in his footsteps, Oregon earnt its global reputation for producing complex pinot noirs, cementing a prominent position on the global wine map.
Guided by Head Winemaker Gary Horner, Erath has embraced new technologies that accentuate the varied characteristics of these thin-skinned grapes. Continuing a legacy of innovating Oregon wine, Horner introduced micro-oxygenation and cross flow filtration to hone the classic and elegant wines, famed for their fresh fruity notes, lifted acidity and enduring flavourful profiles.