The Wine

“One of my favorite events of each year is sitting down to blend our Auction Lot. To find the best 15 gallons of wine in the cellar takes a lot of patience, but it is work that is truly a pleasure to do. 2019 was a fantastic vintage that produced wines of finesse and depth. After blending numerous iterations of what our 2019 Auction wine could be, I continuously kept being pulled back to three specific barrels. Then once I settled on the three barrels that would become our special lot for the year, I had to decide what proportions of the barrels made for the best representation of our sliver of the Dundee Hills and the 2019 vintage. I tirelessly compared every iteration and the clear winner was an equal amount of each barrel. And from this process, Rule of Thirds was born. The three barrels were from three unique blocks on our property, located at three different elevations, planted in three separate decades. The wine also ended up with 33% new French oak and 33% whole-cluster fermentation. You can see how I came to the name of Rule of Thirds! Each component included in the wine is exactly one third of the whole. This balanced composition has led to a stunning 2019 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. Rule of Thirds perfectly balances finesse, tension and richness. The wine begins with ripe red fruit and an underlying component of muddled black fruit. The spice components are warm and layered, while the earth nuances lend themselves to add complexity to this wine. One of my favorite aspects of this 2019 Rule of Thirds is a delicate note of crushed violets that is present on the nose and in the palate. The crunchy stem tannins bring ample texture in the mouth and balance perfectly with the acidity. All of these components combine to create a distinguished Dundee Hills Pinot Noir with a sensuous and lingering finish.” – Spencer Spetnagel, winemaker

Learn more about this lot during Preview Week (July 26–30) when winemaker Spencer Spetnagel will present this wine during a virtual tasting session on July 28. Register here.

The Winery

The Durant family planted Pinot noir in the Dundee Hills of Oregon in 1973. They have a long history in the landscape of the West even before they put vines in these volcanic soils. This connection has instilled in the Durant family a desire to strive to nurture and protect the land, and ultimately be stewards of this gorgeous land. With their estate wines, olive oils and nursery the Durant family welcomes you to experience the entire property for a true sense of place and to share with you this sliver of the Dundee Hills.

Learn more about Durant Vineyards
Follow: @durant_vineyards

All wine is sold FOB the location of the winery that produced the lot purchased. WVWA is not responsible for shipping wine. Shipping or delivery arrangements, expenses and insurance are the sole responsibility of the purchaser. Any shipment of wines out-of-state is the responsibility of the purchaser, who is solely responsible for compliance with the laws and regulations of said state.

A list of distributors by country and state is available upon request.