Extended Tirage Brut
Honeysuckle, brioche, and honey drizzled chevre on warm toasted artisan bread are the first things to hit you on the nose of this ten year old bubbly. The next thing that grabs you about this straw colored beauty is how amazingly fine the mousse is. I have never seen an Argyle sparkling wine, with such delicate, tiny bubbles. That delicacy dances across the palate just like the old monk said, “I am drinking the stars!”. Age has brought this wine amazingly rich flavors of vanilla bean crème brûlée, persimmon, and baked pear with the most delicate hints of licorice, peach, and spun sugar. It’s astounding that a flavor profile can be so creamy and have such a defined thread of acidity woven through it, but this wine does, finishing with the clean acidity of a perfect sparkler.
Wine Production Stats
Varietals: 52% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, 3% Pinot Meunier
AVA: Willamette Valley
Alcohol: 13.0%
Tiraged: 2001, Disgorged on Demand
Cases produced: 1,012
Rollin Soles' 2001 Vintage Notes
Many Oregon vintages are characterized by patience at the end due to a late start in the beginning. Not so for the 2001 growing season. We had wonderful weather at bloom, in fact too wonderful! The grape flowers pollinated perfectly and the clusters set were the largest in recent history. Large quantities of large clusters struggle to ripen in Oregon’s cool growing season. So to ensure ripeness before the end of the growing season, we had to cut off more fruit than any year I can remember. With this aggressive thinning we saw rapid sugar development in the berries.
Before harvesting the sugar rich berries we had to wait patiently for several days for the ripe fruit flavors to develop that are necessary to make our best wines. The grapes were hand picked into small baskets. The fruit was first chilled to 35 degrees F before gentle, whole fruit pressing. After settling the cold juice over a period of several weeks, only the freshest heart-juice was fermented using one of Argyle’s proprietary yeasts. A judicious amount of barrel and malo-lactic fermentation was employed to help build creamier textures and mouth rewarding complexities.
93 points
Wine Spectator
"Lithe and silky, elegant and refined, with subtle white pepper and spicy floral hints weaving through the grapefruit and pineapple flavors. Finishes with deft balance. Impressive for its length. Drink now."
– Harvey Steiman (2001 vintage)
– October 2011
93 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2001 Brut Extended Tirage is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, exactly the same wine released in 2004 but with a decade sur lie. The 2001 vintage provided plenty of natural acidity and it shows in this elegant effort. Light gold in color, it displays complex aromas and flavors along with an attractive minerality. Mouth-filling, creamy textured, and long, this pleasure-bent bubbly is meant for drinking over the next 3-4 years."
- Jay Miller (2001 vintage)
- October 2011
95 points
Highly Recommended
Wine Spectator
"Refined and elegant, delivering beautifully intense layers of pear, caramel, spice and whole-grain toast that mingle seamlessly as the finish rolls on and on. The length is truly impressive, and the deftness of the balance makes this special."
– Harvey Steiman (2000 vintage)
– December 15, 2010
93 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2000 Extended Tirage is made up of 54% Chardonnay and 46% Pinot Noir. Light gold in color, it displays more complex aromas and flavors with an attractive minerality added to the mix. Mouth-filling, creamy textured, and long, this pleasure-bent bubbly is meant for drinking over the next 3-4 years."
- Jay Miller (2000 vintage)
- October 2010
95 points
Highly Recommended
Wine Spectator
"Elegant, with very fine bubbles and complex spice, coffee, pear and toast aromas and flavors that are poised against lacy acidity and refined structure, letting the flavors sail on and on with finesse."
– Harvey Steiman (1999 vintage)
– December 15, 2009
95 points
Top 100 Wines of 2008 - #17
Wine Spectator
"Haunting stuff, ethereal in texture, with amazingly delicate bubbles that carry wave after wave of rich toast, spice and baked apple flavors, persisting on the elegant finish. This one has harmony, intensity and refinement."
– Harvey Steiman (1998 vintage)
– October 8, 2008