One of the great under the radar properties in Oregon, Archer Vineyard was founded back in the 1980s by Don and Grace Archer. The property was purchased by Saj and Pauline Jivanjee many years later in 2005. Saj is a British-educated architect of Indian descent, born and raised in Kenya. Pauline hails from England—where the couple met—and sees the world through the lens of her doctorate in social work. Saj and Pauline live on the Archer Vineyard property. They are fond of calling the Archer tasting room “the living room of wine country”—a comfortable, sun-filled space where windows look out on the Willamette Valley and the Coast Range beyond.
Archer Vineyard winemaker Jim Sanders has been making wine in the Willamette Valley since 1996, when he first explored the craft while working with Mike Etzel at Beaux Frères. He continues to make beautiful wines at Le Cadeau and Aubichon Cellars. I loved the new wines across the board. The 2019 Archer Vineyard ‘Arch’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) is a gorgeous barrel select wine that has loads of tension and a silky mouthfeel. Learn more at archervineyard.com and here are my reviews of the great wines by Archer Vineyard.
2017 Archer ‘Willamette Valley Select’ Pinot Noir- The really good 2017 Archer ‘Willamette Valley Select’ Pinot Noir- was tried for nine months in French oak before bottling. Guava puree, white peach, red florals and salty soils all mark the nose. The palate is soft and polished with copious minerals and a lengthy finish, with loads of lip-smacking acidity. Drink 2024-2030- 91
2018 Archer Vineyard ‘Willamette Valley Select’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 Archer Vineyard ‘Willamette Valley Select’ Pinot Noir is a slightly richer edition of this wine. Black raspberry and shades of Black Forest cake mark the palate, alongside salty soils and stony minerals. Really delicious in its rich texture, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2021 Archer Vineyard ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Coming from this warm, great vintage, the 2021 Archer Vineyard ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir shows good depth and richness as an entry level bottling. Pomegranate seed flavors mingle with cran-orange flavors on the palate, with salty soil accents. Drink 2024-2030- 91
2018 Archer Vineyard ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 Archer Vineyard ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir offers lighter bodied red fruit flavors that combine with kumquat zest and salty minerals on the palate. This is lacking a bit depth considering the richness of the vintage. Drink 2024-2030- 90
2019 Archer Vineyard ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- Dried herbs and red currants mark the nose alongside tobacco leaf and strawberry tones in this 2019 Pinot Noir. The palate shows excellent tension and length, with a bright core of ripe and tart red fruits. Neatly textured, this is already drinking well at the five year mark. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2019 Archer Vineyard ‘Arch’ Pinot Noir- Coming from the Chehalem Mountains Vineyard, this 2019 Pinot Noir was stored in 35% new French oak before bottling. Red currant jelly, west stone, cran-cherry and shades of cardamom all mark the nose. The palate is soft and seamless with a generous mouthfeel. Loaded with bright red fruits, with salty nuances, this is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2034- 93