Rose & Arrow Estate 2019

Rose & Arrow Estate began in 2012 as a collaborative effort between Mark Tarlov (who started Evening Lands) and Louis-Michel Comte Liger-Belair of the eponymous domaine in Vosne-Romanée, looking to produce the best expression of Oregon pinot noir through a fastidious in-depth study of the Basalt soils of the Willamette Valley by uncovering the best plots within plots. While they own or farm over 60 hectares of land there, less than four percent of the harvest goes into the prestigious Rose & Arrow cuvées. Since the untimely passing of Mark, the estate has also ended its relationship with Comte Liger-Belair. Its viticulture and winemaking are now entirely in-house, led by Felipe Ramirez who had originally conducted the geological studies. However, the ties with Vosne-Romanée still exist in the usage of French barrels that are still flown in every year, of which twenty-percent consists of new oak. The 2019 line-up below was specially organised by one of the estate’s partners, Tristan Sjoberg, at Solo Ristorante, Singapore, on 18 April 2023. Compared with the 2018, the 2019s appear to be more masculine and extracted, very tightly wound at this stage which makes it difficult to pass judgement. Part of this, I suspect, is due to the wines being served in generic non-burgundy glasses compared with the 2018s that were tasted from Zalto burgundy stemware at 67 Pall Mall last year (click here). Nevertheless, the potential is evident, most clearly articulated by the Rose & Arrow Stonecreek. Patience is required. Many thanks, Tristan!

2020 Rose & Arrow Estate Eola Springs Chardonnay. Pale. Darkish bouquet though the palate is tightly structured with chiseled white tones, very cleanly delineated with sharp precision and crisp acidity but still exuding a refined elegance through its subtle verve and intensity, developing further notes of nutmeg and olives. Highly successful.

2019 Rose & Arrow Estate Hopewell Hills. Deep ruby. Dark roses and cherries on the nose. The full palate is imbued with abundant warm ripe fruit laid on velvety textures, graced by fresh acidity that lingered with glowing persistence. From Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.

2019 Rose & Arrow Estate Gathered Stones. Deep garnet. Some restraint is evident on the nose while the rounded supple palate is appreciably weightier, beautifully clean and precise, structured with silky tannins on a solid backbone of deep dark fruit that swept across with delicious fleeting intensity. Very finely balanced with good sophistication. Excellent. From vines grown on porous volcanic rocks. From Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.

2019 Rose & Arrow Estate Highland Close. Deep purple. Nose of mulberries, raspberries and dark currants. Well extracted with a full darkish presence. Structured with masculine proportions, underscored with some velvetiness from understated sweet tannins. Cool minty finish. Still too tight at this point of time though its potential is huge. From Chehalem Mountain, Oregon.

2019 Rose & Arrow Estate Riverline. Deep ruby, proffering dark roses amid exotic spices and overtones of warm wet gravel. Fairly supple, structured with cleanly defined tannins laced with an understated sweetness but its pronounced acidity is not helpful at the moment, way too intense and awkward. Slightly more perfumed after some time though it remained bright and pebbly.

2019 Rose & Arrow Estate Stonecreek. Deep purple. Highly attractive dark floral fragrance matched by superb concentration of fruit, richly layered and structured with fine definition but yet to open. Excellent sophistication. Very classy. Huge potential here. Proudly claimed by the estate to be its equivalent to a burgundy grand cru, and quite justifiably so. From Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.