Wine critics from near and far went nuts when they tasted Jim Maresh's brilliant 2022 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir. Decanter said that "silken elegance and intensity combine in a gorgeous wine." I think that really sums things up here, and when Decanter rates a US-made wine at 97 points, I take notice.
They weren't the only ones to gush praise upon this gorgeously complex and age-worthy wine -- click HERE to see what Vinous Media, Wine Spectator, the Wine Advocate, and others had to say. Just remember that before this wine was gaining all of this praise, I was touting its virtues all the way back in 2013.
I'm not tooting my own horn here, I'm just reiterating that the Arterberry Maresh love runs deep at Table Wine. Jim crafted one of the top domestic Pinot Noirs of the 2022 vintage.
2022 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir 'Maresh Vineyard'
97 points Decanter, 96 points Wine Advocate, 96 points International Wine Report, 94 points Wine Spectator
The Maresh Vineyard is one of the oldest and best Pinot Noir sites in the United States. Situated in the Dundee Hills, ground zero for Pinot Noir in the Valley, it was planted by Jim Maresh's grandfather in 1970, just 2 years after David Lett planted the original Pinot Noir vines for Eyrie. Farmed organically from day one, these old, low-yielding vines produce a Pinot Noir elixir that will thrill the senses.
I still remember visiting Jim at the winery's tasting room at the top of the Dundee Hills back in 2015. Jim was quite the host, and he not only pulled the corks on the winery's current releases, he also opened a bottle of the estate's mythical 1985 Pinot Noir, one that the Wine Advocate's David Schildknecht was profoundly touched by:
"Only a handful of Pinot Noirs in my experience have delivered greater beauty or more striking singularity."
I was equally enamored with the wine, and it still rates as one of the best domestic Pinot Noirs I've ever had. Jim said it was the best wine his dad and grandpa ever made, and it stands as a testament to the quality of this site as well as to the longevity of the Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir. Ten years later, and those vines have just gotten older, and the wine has just gotten better.
One of the top Pinot Noirs produced anywhere in the US in 2022, this stuff is pure magic in the glass. It pours a gorgeous, glistening ruby color, and right when the juice hits the glass, the perfume comes flowing out of the glass. Rose petals, exotic spice, cool red fruits, blood orange, flinty minerality, and savory herbs all come pouring out of the glass. Just as compelling on the palate, this is silky and oh-so satisfying, but there are sneaky tannins and structure there too. Drink now through 2036 is my best guess, but we drank that 1985 in 2015, so who really knows how long this will go.....
Just to bring it all together, here's the full review from Decanter's Clive Pursehouse: "The Maresh is a combination of 1970 and 1974 planted vines. Mouthfuls of complexity and elegance. High-toned red fruits and forest-driven umami character, pine bough, blood orange and spice. Long hang times for 2022, the low alcohol is evocative of Old World Pinot Noir. There is a darkness and complexity of the wine, with an intensity of flavour, only 5% new oak, 20 months in barrel. Spiced cinnamon, fresh red strawberries, savoury clove and smoked sea salt, bring an intensity, and a crushed stone minerality finishes this beautiful wine."
If this one doesn't sound good to you, we can't be friends any more : ) Seriously, this is drinking beautifully now, and it would absolutely soar at the table with duck breast, lamb chops, and other regal meals.
If you want to experience the best Pinot Noir that the Willamette Valley has to offer, get some of this.
