Arterberry Maresh Vineyard
Three Generations of Oregon Wine
Jim Maresh comes by his love of pinot noir naturally. His late father, Fred Arterberry Jr., was a Pinot pioneer in the 1980's. Fred was the first winemaker in Oregon to produce sparkling wine (Mark Vlosak apprenticed with Fred in 1987 and 1988 before going on to produce his own acclaimed sparkling and Pinot production at St. Innocent). Fred's 1985 Arterberry Pinot noir garnered a 95 point rating from Wine Spectator. As a tribute, Jim has kept his father's historic label, modified only slightly to incorporate the Maresh name.
In the Beginning
At just 24 years old, Jim Maresh (third generation of the Maresh vineyard and winery family) looked more like a college student on spring break than a winemaker. Now 28, he still does.
His cell phone still beeps intermittently while he makes plans to meet up with friends at the beach and he is constantly making references to up-coming basketball games.
Jim's winery was first housed in the basement of the Maresh retreat house, high in the Dundee Hills with sweeping views of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. He has since moved twice - first to the Tori Mor Winery and now on to a space of his own (January 2012.)
In 2008, his first, unfinished workspace was cramped and a bit dingy, surprising given the beauty and grandeur of the retreat housethat was just above it.The walls still tell the real story. They are tacked with faded family photos of vintages past, photos of Jim at age 2 or 3 standing over a crush barrel with his dad, photos with Governor Neal Goldschmidt (their former neighbor and former owner of Goldschmidt - now Winderlea - vineyard) and other photos of relatives and winemaker friends during the chaos of crush taken over the course of forty years. If a museum for Oregon pinot history was ever to open, this would be a good place to start.
Label from Fred Arterberry's 1991 Pinot noir
The Maresh Vineyard
Maresh Vineyard produces some of the most sought after and acclaimed fruit in Oregon sourced by the likes of Et Fille, Daedalus, and was initially made famous by Lynn Penner Ash during her tenure at Rex Hill. Planted predominately to Pommard clones, the vineyard contains some of the oldest vine Pinot in the state.
Jim's grandfather (also named Jim) bought the land that is now the Maresh Vineyard in 1959 and began converting the orchards to vineyard land shortly thereafter (at that time there were only 5 wineries in Oregon and less than 35 vineyard acres planted in the entire state). The acreage is a rolling vineyard planted predominately in Pinot noir but interspersed with Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. A few filbert and apple trees remain, but the focus is clearly on grape production.
Maresh Vineyard in distance (red barn at top of the hill)
taken from Winderlea Vineyard
Jim's wine operation is currently a one man band with an army of supporters. His grandfather Jim helps him farm the land, his mom helps him run the books, and his legions of winemaking friends help him with production. He has apprenticed with several heavy hitters including Lynn Penner Ash at Penner Ash in 2003, Mark Vlosak at St. Innocent in 2004, and John Paul at Cameron in 2005.
Jim on Dundee Hills
For Jim Arterberry Maresh, it's all about when you pick. He rolled the dice in 2008 and let some of the old vine fruit hang until Halloween - remarkably late for Oregon. With the warmer 2009 vintage, Jim picked early for balance and restraint. "I pick at the right time - its my most important decision," say Jim. "In 2009, there was no rain and no curve balls. The choice was yours, it was simple, really."
You won't see an Arterberry Maresh wine from outside the Dundee Hills - it's just not what Jim's about. Even though it will slow his winery growth, he knows what he wants.
"I can't just boom my production up overnight. I'm picky and want 30 year-old Dundee Hills vines. There's just not a lot out there." But why does it matter?
Jim is a raw-materials advocate. He's about fruit pedigree. He thinks he has access to the best Pinot vines outside of Burgundy. Considering the 40 year-old vines from his family's Maresh Vineyard, it's a tough point to argue. "You can't make a great Pinot without the best raw materials."
Jim doesn't tweak his wines in the winery - what he picks is what you drink. With both Pinot noir and Chardonnay, Jim leaves the wines alone, letting the raw materials shine.
I want to put the wine in the people's hand, give them an amazing drinking experience. My wines need to deliver an experience. There needs to be a backstory to the complexity of the wines and vines."
"I don't think anyone wants this more than me. This is damn near the only thing I do. I just want to make a wine off the best vines around."
Maresh Vineyard
