2015 Chapter 24 Vineyards 'The Fire' Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

data-mce-fragment="1">Chapter 24 Vineyards was named after the last chapter of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. This particular chapter was added long after Homer died. The Greeks continued the tale to satisfy themselves despite the author thinking he was finished after Chapter 23. The mark of a great ending is not what it says about the past, but rather what it promises for the future, and Chapter 23 clearly raised more questions than it answered. In this same spirit, the story of Chapter 24's wines continues well past the cellar door. Winemaking is just the beginning of the story. 

"There's no question that these wines are exceptionally refined, sensual, and texturally complete, with a seamlessness that Tarlov and Liger-Belair refer to as 'quiet'." ~Wine & Spirits, Top 100 Wineries of 2014

Chapter 24 Vineyards’ Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley are made by Burgundy legend Louis-Michel Liger-Belair––whose top wines sell for thousands of dollars per bottle––terroir expert Pedro Parra, winemaker Felipe Ramirez and deep thinker Mark Tarlov. Chapter 24 began working with Pedro Parra specifically because his practice and expertise is to connect ideal flavors, textures, and aromas in the wine to the specific place in which the vines grow. Together they explore Willamette Valley’s soils revealing new facets of the region’s terroir in pursuit of some of Oregon’s most quietly expressive and seamless Pinot Noirs.

Chapter 24’s three signature cuvées are ‘Fire’ (volcanic soils), ‘Flood’ (sedimentary soils), and the best lots from both soil types are selected for ‘The Last Chapter, its top bottling. Unearthing the complex patterns of the Willamette Valley landscape gave birth to a new project rooted in the exploration of basalt permutations named Rose & Arrow. The boundaries of these very specific vineyard sites are seven volcanic ribbons, not blocks, drawn to hold soils that share similar basalt and rock-erosion characteristics

Utilizing the infusion technique of consulting Burgundian winemaker Louis Michel Liger-Belair, Chapter 24’s winemaking is more akin to steeping rather than an aggressive extraction process. This does not mean they have reinvented the wheel or discovered some form of secret winemaking technique that hasn’t already been used in Oregon. What they have done, however, is brought together a number of variables which, on their own, don’t contribute great changes, but as a whole, markedly change the direction of a wine’s final destination to more closely resemble the structure of the Pinot Noirs we love. That is, Pinot Noir elegantly crafted for immediate enjoyment, without negating its ability to age impeccably.

Aging: 12 months in 50% New French Oak