Winemaker Notes
Extended Tirage Brut is aged for ten years on the yeast and disgorged on demand to ensure freshness. Argyle’s Tirage Library in Dundee has sparkling wines still aging on the yeast, dating back to their first vintage in 1987.
Blend: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
After ten years en tirage, this blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir is excitingly multifaceted, from the energetic and remarkably enduring mousse onward. Aromas of baked, caramel- drizzled apple engage with yeastiness and a suggestion of red fruit such as cranberry in intriguing contrast to a palate that's bracingly chalk-dry on entry. And while there's depth of texture, there's also a laser-focused freshness to flavors of nectarine, lemon zest and curd, and spice on the long finish, including white pepper and nutmeg
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2012 Argyle Extended Triage Brut is one of America's most complex sparkling wines. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows aromas and flavors of yeasty autolysis, dried earth, and green apples. Enjoy it with steamed Dungeness crab in a ginger, and scallion sauce. (Tasted: December 11, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A current release, the 2012 Extended Tirage Brut was disgorged in the summer of 2022 after 10 years of tirage. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, touches of iodine give way to crushed almonds, pie crust, mushrooms and baked apples on the nose. The palate is light-bodied and dry, with focused acidity, softening mousse and a long, savory finish. Offer it a few minutes in the glass to open up.
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Wine Enthusiast
This 60-40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is made from the 2012 Vintage Brut base wine, which aged on its lees for an additional seven years before disgorgement. Elegant little bubbles and lively acidity lead the way to aromas and flavors of white peach, wet rocks and lemon Bundt cake.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and refined, with Meyer lemon, fresh ginger and yeast roll accents that sail on a steely finish
Founded in 1987 as Oregon's original sparkling wine house, Argyle quickly stood out as a study in contrasts—honoring the deep traditions of wine and embracing innovation and experimentation; proud to be Oregonian and pulling knowledge from winemakers around the world. When common knowledge said a winery could produce great sparkling wine or great still wine Argyle asked "why not both?", answering the question with acclaimed wines from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Riesling.
Their four estate vineyards make up nearly 500 acres in the Willamette Valley, with the majority in the Eola-Amity Hills and Dundee Hills nested AVAs. Willamette Valley's cool, late ripening climate produces age worthy base wines. The vineyards, nearing 1000' in elevation, ensure fruit develops slowly, retains acidity, and promotes flavor ripeness before sugar ripeness.
Nate Klostermann is the second winemaker in Argyle's 35-year history and has emerged as one of Oregon's most gifted winemakers. He currently celebrates nearly two decades at Argyle and continues to say he "landed in a good spot" when he arrived at Argyle to work his first harvest. With his fine-tuned winemaking skills and passion for Oregon wine, Nate is now recognized for making elegant and complex sparkling wines along with vibrant and impeccably balanced Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Meunier.
Built on the foundation of "Grower first", Argyle's viticulture team is taking sustainable farming a step further with regenerative farming. Practices such as utilizing custom cover crop and biochar enhanced compost made in house provide natural nutrient additions. Minimal tilling encourages growth of microbes in the soil, water retention and reduces erosion. Blue bird and kestrel habitats are scattered around various vineyards for pest control. Local sheep are brought into the vineyards to manage grass and weeds, and while they aren't a requirement for winemaking, the team has developed bee sanctuaries. These sanctuaries are parcels of fallow land, now dedicated to growing flowers pollinators and beneficial insects.
Their commitment to and partnerships with community organizations, sustainability, Oregon's winegrowing industry, and their employees and families are foundational to Argyle's approach. Argyle makes contributions to non-profit organizations committed to improving the lives of vineyard workers and non-profit organizations that support the arts. These organizations include AHIVOY, ¡Salud!, The Roots Fund, PDX Jazz, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland Center Stage, and Portland Opera.
Argyle is the only winery to land on Wine Spectator's Top 100 list for Sparkling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
One of Pinot Noir's most successful New World outposts, the Willamette Valley is the largest and most important AVA in Oregon. With a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, it is perfect for cool-climate viticulture and the production of elegant wines.
Mountain ranges bordering three sides of the valley, particularly the Chehalem Mountains, provide the option for higher-elevation vineyard sites.
The valley's three prominent soil types (volcanic, sedimentary and silty, loess) make it unique and create significant differences in wine styles among its vineyards and sub-AVAs. The iron-rich, basalt-based, Jory volcanic soils found commonly in the Dundee Hills are rich in clay and hold water well; the chalky, sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville encourage complex root systems as vines struggle to search for water and minerals. In the most southern stretch of the Willamette, the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA soils are mixed, shallow and well-drained. The Hills' close proximity to the Van Duzer Corridor (which became its own appellation as of 2019) also creates grapes with great concentration and firm acidity, leading to wines that perfectly express both power and grace.
Though Pinot noir enjoys the limelight here, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay also thrive in the Willamette. Increasing curiosity has risen recently in the potential of others like Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc and Gamay.