So if you’ve been following along with me here at Weekends in Dundee, you know that I essentially “took the summer off.” Which I loved…but it also makes me kind of sad knowing that I frolicked in the sunshine soaking up all that Dundee has to offer, and didn’t share a darn bit of it with you!? So selfish, but it sure was a beautiful summer in wine country!

The good news is that I did take lots of pictures…so not all is lost! My plan as I move forward is to sprinkle in new posts with some “flashbacks” to things I didn’t get to share in a timely manner over the past summer. So with that said, let me tell you all about our Labor Day weekend adventure at the new Argyle Tasting House!

If you drive through Dundee on a semi-regular basis, then you’ve been watching as the Argyle Tasting House transformation! It’s been fun to see old buildings reimagined and transformed into a modern tasting house.

It’s also been really rewarding for me to watch the new space evolve because one of my good friends from high school was an architect involved with the design and construction of this project…his work is stunning!

The design used the old wine making production facility and elevated the space into a open room that is both refreshing and cozy. Throughout the demolition and construction of the new space, materials from the old building were salvaged and reused in the new space. Careful attention was paid when determining how to reuse materials from the wood counter tops and façade and on the tasting bar to new tables and benches made from salvaged lumber, you feel the mix of old and new which personifies the wine industry in Oregon.

Also don’t you just love the artwork above the tasting bar? It took me a while to figure it out…what do you see? The answer is at the end of this post!

Of course, the wine at Argyle has always been fabulous! They’re know for their bubbly, but they also have some of the best pinot noirs around. The Renaissance Man tasted The Red Diamond Flight, while I opted for The Pop Flight…bubbles are just so much fun!

The Red Diamond Flight tasting notes…

2013 Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir ~ An admirable glimpse of the Willamette Valley’s finest  offerings, our Reserve Pinot Noir is truly a celebration of balance. Bing Cherry, supple raspberry, embraced by hints of toasted nutmeg and rich earth. The tannins are firm, but rounded, an underlying minerality which drives the mid-palate through a long, lingering finish.

2013 Argyle Nuthouse Pinot Noir ~ Elegantly-concentrated Pinot Noir, showing bright raspberry, spicy floral and black tea flavors, all woven into a rich, yet energetic frame. A mild grip of tannins is carried through a long, savory finish.

2012 Argyle Spirithouse Pinot Noir ~ This pinot Noir rides the line of red clay mineral edge and voluptuous depth. Elegant red cherry, wispy floral, and savory spice, the middle palate is based in silkiness and youthful acidity. Framed around delicately firm tannins, the length is long and pure, begging for at least a decade of cellaring.

The Pop Flight tasting notes…

2011 Argyle Conducere Brut ~ The Conducere is our most opulent style of Blanc de Blancs. Fruit forward, showing hits of nectarine and lychee. Subtle acidity balances with slate minerality. Packed with lightly toasted pistachio and honeydew melon, this is Argyle at its mad-innovator best.

2011 Argyle Blanc de Blancs Brut ~ The is serious Blanc de Blancs. Allspice, Marcona almond, and fleshy pear meld with a rich, creamy core all persisting against wet, mineral length.

2011 Argyle Brut Rose ~ The color is a beautiful pale salmon pink, while its bouquet is full of rose petal, anise, and pink peppercorn. Savory, complex, while its delicate, creamy bead leads to a long textural finish.

My favorite was the 2011 Argyle Blanc de Blancs Brut, the taste of pear was so evident and refreshing…if we weren’t in the middle of our long Sunday walk around town, I certainly would have purchased a bottle to take home and enjoy!

Another neat thing about this new facility space is that they’re now able to cellar everything in their wine library dating back to the very first vintage in 1987. They have roughly fifty to sixty thousand bottles of wine in their cellars…which is pretty impressive considering the winery will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2017!

The space below is now an outside covered area to mix and mingle, that use to be the crush pad. Do you see those concrete circles in the background?

You know the ones…John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Yes, apparently that is where the old wine storage takes were located. Instead of ripping out the concrete they’ve decided to make use of the design feature and to make some pretty unique outdoor seating.

The women doing our tasting told us that when the wine was being made at this facility you could hear things like “The pinot in Paul is close” or “we’re going to to need a little more time with the chardonnay in Ringo.” How fun is that? It certainly was way more creative than Tank #1, Tank #2, Tank #3, and Tank #4!

I am so happy to have this new amazing space in the City of Dundee! The new space can accommodate indoor and outdoor events and will work for both large and small parties of guests. I was particularly excited to hear how they’re reaching out to the art community in Portland and hope to host different cultural events to bring more city dwellers out into wine country.

And for you cyclist out there I happy to say I even spotted some pretty nice bike racks! Be sure to stop by and visit on your next trip through Dundee!

The fun artwork above the tasting bar is the little wire cage that holds the cork in…a muselet! Because Argyle is know for sparkling wines, the cork cage is the perfect! I even love the little light bulbs hanging down among the art like effervescent bubbles!