The red volcanic heart of Willamette Valley pinot noir, a group of rounded hills above the town of Dundee where Jory clay-loam soils derived from basaltic lava produce wines of deep colour, dark fruit intensity, and exceptional longevity. Morning fog delays ripening and preserves aromatic complexity; afternoon warmth drives phenolic development. The hillsides above Dundee are Oregon's closest equivalent to the Côte d'Or — a concentrated zone of benchmark addresses in a geographically small area.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 96 | Dundee Hills' 2024 delivered a textbook expression of the appellation's volcanic Jory character. Warm, measured conditions and a long, dry harvest produced Pinot Noir of exceptional red-fruit definition and structural elegance — wines that will reward patience across a decade or more. |
| 2023 | 90 | The 2023 vintage in Dundee Hills came after a challenging sequence of warmer, smoke-affected years and arrived as a return to cooler, more classically structured conditions. A cool, wet spring delayed bud break by nearly two weeks, and the summer maintained moderate rather than extreme heat accumulation. The extended growing season built acidity and phenolic complexity simultaneously, producing wines that show both the fragrant aromatics and the structural precision that distinguish the Dundee Hills appellation at its finest. Early tastings from barrel suggest a vintage of genuine age-worthiness. |
| 2022 | 96 | Dundee Hills' Jory volcanic soils concentrated 2022's exceptional warmth into wines of remarkable depth. Pinot Noir from Domaine Drouhin, Eyrie, and Adelsheim at benchmark quality. Acidity retention surprised given the season's heat. The finest Dundee Hills vintage in a generation. |
| 2021 | 79 | Jory soil's drainage moderated vine stress during the heat dome, but exposed south-facing blocks still showed dehydration. West-facing and mid-slope sites outperformed. Eyrie and Archery Summit managed the vintage exceptionally. Avoid entry-level tier. |
| 2020 | 74 | Smoke taint impacted many producers. Jory hillside positioning above the valley floor provided slightly better airflow. Some producers reported acceptable results from early-picked fruit. Honesty in disclosure varied. Proceed with caution. |
| 2019 | 95 | The definitive Dundee Hills vintage. Drouhin, Eyrie, and Adelsheim all produced historically great wines. Long cool finish gave Pinot Noir extraordinary finesse — silky, Chambolle-like texture with unmistakable Willamette depth. Will be cellared for twenty years. |
| 2018 | 88 | Dundee Hills' 2018 was a vintage of warmth and early promise, shaped by a long, dry summer that delivered consistent heat accumulation without the brutal heat spikes that plagued some Washington appellations. The Jory red clay soils retained their drainage advantage while holding the late-summer warmth in the root zone. Harvest arrived early — many producers by mid-September — producing wines of generous fruit weight, plush texture, and flattering early drinkability. The best producers who managed acid levels through selective harvesting made wines of genuine complexity; less disciplined harvesting produced overripe expressions that lack the refreshing tension that defines great Oregon Pinot. |
| 2017 | 89 | Good season with warm, dry summer conditions. Less tension and complexity than 2016 but wines of genuine quality and early accessibility. |
| 2016 | 97 | An exceptional Dundee Hills vintage that confirmed Oregon's position at the world Pinot Noir summit. The red clay-loam Jory soils delivered wines of extraordinary depth and mineral complexity. |
| 2015 | 87 | The hottest Dundee Hills growing season produced Pinot Noir of unusual density and power. Divided opinion: traditionalists found the 2015s too warm; others found the richness compelling. Mostly ready before 2016s. |