Archery Summit Winery Releases Inaugural 2012 Vintage of Vireton Pinot Gris

17 Apr 2013 --- Archery Summit, the acclaimed Dundee Hills winery known for crafting exceptional estate grown Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, is pleased to introduce the inaugural vintage of Vireton Pinot Gris, releasing nationwide this month. This classic cool-climate Pinot Gris showcases the best of the Willamette Valley, offering a wine with dynamic energy and liveliness, representative of the region.

"As Pinot Gris is a classic companion varietal in Oregon, we wanted to explore the prospect of producing a nationally-distributed bottling, having previously only offered a limited production for our wine club members," said Erle Martin, CEO, Crimson Wine Group. "Our winemaking and viticulture teams have found this wine to be a great opportunity and its addition adds a nice complement to our existing portfolio."

Archery Summit's Vireton Pinot Gris showcases the classic flavor profile characteristics of the varietal, with lively acidity punctuated by a distinctive flinty minerality. This new release provides a wonderful contrast to Archery Summit's existing limited production offering, the Ab Ovo Pinot Gris, available for wine club members only. Made with fruit grown from a small 1.26 acre block at the Red Hills Estate vineyard at Archery Summit, the Ab Ovo is a rich and full bodied selection with tropical notes prevalent.

"This inaugural vintage of the Vireton Pinot Gris showcases a traditional representation of the varietal, with evocative aromas of citrus lemon verbena, lime zest, apple blossom and rosemary on the nose and a vibrant acidity on the palate," said winemaker Christopher Mazepink. "The result is a youthful, energetic and extremely food-friendly offering, and we're proud to make this wine available nationwide."

Fruit for this bottling was hand-harvested, whole bunch pressed and settled for 24 hours. It was transferred to stainless steel fermenters utilizing select Alsatian-style yeasts under temperature controlled conditions. It has been bottled under screw cap to preserve the wine's fresh fruit profile.  Archery Summit's 2012 Vireton Pinot Gris retails for $24 per bottle with 2,500 cases produced.