Are you as amazed by the Oregon wine industry as I am? With Chardonnay in the spotlight, rogue winemakers standing shoulder to shoulder with their mentors, supreme efforts and successes with practices that promise environmental sustainability, and continued explorations to uncover unique nuances of the land, what’s not to appreciate? Not that long ago, I had the opportunity to discover the people, philosophy and two unique wines, a Pinot Noir and Rosé sent as samples, from Alit Wines.
Photo Credit: Alit Wines-Oregon
Mark Tarlov, former prosecutor and current film producer and director, founded Evening Land that offers a label of wines produced in both Oregon and Burgundy. In 2015, he started Chapter 24 Vineyards and two wines that are an authentic reflection of terroir are produced. He’s also responsible for founding Rose and Arrow winery in 2015, too – Alit, its sibling, evolved a year later. In 2015, Tarlov included Felipe Ramirez, Chilean winemaker, as the winemaker for Rose and Arrow and subsequently for Alit wines with consulting winemaker Michel Liger-Belair enhancing the team.
During our virtual tasting, Mark Thomas, General Manager (and former wine director at the Wynn in Las Vegas), and Felipe Ramirez, Winemaker, were ready to talk about the wines and more. Alit wines are from “premium organic vineyards. We take pockets of a vineyard and with the grapes make the wines of Alit,” shared Thomas. The wines are at an affordable price for Alit Collective members who pay an annual membership fee of $100 in order to purchase these small production wines at cost and by doing so, eliminate the “middleman.” There are no monthly minimums and no shipment commitments. Mark admitted that “as people discover us, they love the wines and concept.”
In essence, Felipe stated that “our philosophy is to make a special wine at an affordable price.” To that end, wines from Alit “give an outlet to showcase vineyards around the Willamette Valley.”
We farm organically and minimize intervention, aiming to capture a vineyard’s natural ecosystem in a bottle. That means dry farming, where natural rainfall replaces conventional irrigation. This method conserves water while producing small but intensely flavorful grapes.
During fermentation, we rely on the vineyard’s native wild yeasts to transform the grapes into wine. No pesticides, no additives, no synthetic ingredients. With just a little coaxing from our winemaking team, Mother Nature creates the flavors, textures, and aromas we seek in a great wine. Alit Wines
Mark Thomas admits that this project is a “constant set of discovery” because Oregon has “plenty of story to tell.” All wines offered at Alit are “linked to the rocks.” Limestone, schist, and volcanic rock are prevalent and Felipe shared that low intervention winemaking and “what happens under the soil are what’s important. We want to find the special flavors, discover where they come from… and why. It’s a cross between science and art – we follow our gut.”
The 2019 Alit Rosé Willamette Valley oozed minerality and flint thanks to the volcanic soils on Chehalem Mountain on which the Pinot Noir grapes were cultivated. Ramirez feels that the rosé is “a wine of pleasure, with nice spice and minerality.” Easily enjoyed all year long, I discovered notes of strawberries, lemon peel and fresh raspberries on both nose and palate. Crisp and flavorful with the refreshing mouthfeel I crave, this may be my go-to rosé for any occasion.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
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