Argyle Wine

Oregon Wine, United States

About Argyle Winery and Vineyard

Prospecting the New World's coolest latitudes, Brian Croser and Rollin Soles staked a claim in Oregon's Willamette Valley, a place ideal for late season ripened Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit. Since 1987, Argyle Winery has produced world-class methode champenoise Sparkling wine, barrel fermented Chardonnay and 'silky' textured Pinot Noir from low yielding vines on winery farmed hillside slopes. Argyle was named "OREGON'S PREMIER WINERY" by Wine Spectator in 2000.

Argyle farms three vineyards: Knudsen Vineyard, Stoller Vineyard and Lone Star Vineyard. The 120 acre Knudsen Vineyard was first planted between 1972 & 1974. The high elevation blocks of this landmark Dundee Hills site are key components in Argyle's sparkling wines. Knudsen provides Argyle a mix of old vine blocks and new high density blocks planted with "Old World" Dijon clones.

Just south of Knudsen Vineyard in the Dundee Hills sits Stoller Vineyard. First planted in 1995, Stoller, like Knudsen, is planted using state of the art viticultural techniques. Stoller Vineyard has produced some of Oregon's finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 1996 Argyle purchased a spectacular 160 acre vineyard site in the east slopes of Eola Hills, known as Lone Star Vineyard. Located 15 miles south of Argyle's winery in Dundee, this warm site is planted primarily to Dijon clones of Pinot Noir. This vineyard has the potential to be one of Oregon's best Pinot Noir vineyards.

All grapes are hand harvested into small baskets and transported to the winery. Grapes are chilled overnight to 35F before crushing the next day. Chilling preserves the ripe fruit characteristics and naturally limits oxidation.

About Argyle Winery Winemaker Rollin Soles

Rollin Soles has been producing fine wines and garnering high praise and fond attention from wine critics and enthusiasts for more than 20 years. Throughout the years Rollin has continued to produce wines that are ranked among the TOP 100 Wines of the World by the Wine Spectator (nine times). He is the only Oregon winemaker to hold this distinction.

Rollin received a Bachelor's Degree in Microbiology from Texas A&M and a Masters of Science in Enology and Viticulture at the University of California at Davis. During his early winemaking years Rollin honed his knowledge and skills at some of the worlds' finest wineries in California, Switzerland, and Australia. He went on to create Argyle Winery in 1987 and quickly gained a dedicated following.

Rollin approaches winemaking with a personal passion as evidenced by the wine scores and reviews received from the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and numerous other consumer and trade magazines, as well as on television and radio. Since 1987 Rollin has helped reinvent the Oregon wine industry by increasing the quality of Oregon's vineyards and winemaking.