2022 Hyland Estates Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Old Vine McMinnville Willamette Valley 750 ml

At the 1985 Burgundy Challenge in Paris, the world was stunned by a blind-tasting competition in which panelists were unable to differentiate between Pinot Noirs from Oregon and those of Burgundy’s Grand and Premier Crus. To the astonishment of the judges—any anyone else paying attention—three Oregon wines garnered higher point totals than the French ones. 

The common denominator among these game-changing Pinots? They all sourced fruit from Hyland Vineyard. It’s one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon, and it inspires expensive single-vineyard knockouts from some of Oregon’s most prestigious wineries, including Patricia Green Cellars ($65) and Penner-Ash ($70). It has also supplied stars like Walter Scott, Beaux Frères, Antica Terra, and Bergström.

Every time we visit vintner Laurent Montalieu, we’re reminded of Hyland’s immense quality. During our last trip, we meandered from barrel to barrel, soaking up the oak-and-Pinot aromatics and following Laurent—until he looked back and realized he’d lost us. We were still lingering around a barrel of the Hyland Vineyard. After the last vintage sparked an eruption of member adoration, this wine—from a year that Oregon winemakers are heralding as a classic—had us intrigued, then enamored.

Laurent poured us another couple of ounces from his thief, and by the time the elegant tannins of taste number two were fading, we’d made him swear he’d send us a few bottles. When we tasted them at our Napa office, we found that even well away from the intoxicating atmosphere of Laurent’s barrel room, the wine still dazzled, so we called him up, ready to go to bat for our members.