Old Bridge Cellars adds Chapter 24 wines

Pinot Noir varietals highlight various soil types

Old Bridge Cellars (OBC), Napa, Calif., announced the expansion of its Oregon portfolio with Chapter 24 Vineyards, a joint venture between Dundee, Ore.-based Evening Land founder Mark Tarlov and French winemaker Louis-Michel Liger-Belair of Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy, France.

The label name Chapter 24 refers to the last book in Homer's "Odyssey," which some scholars say does not does not fit with the format or content of the rest of the poem. Similar statements can be made for Chapter 24 wines, the companies say. The new wine line includes a Pinot Noir range of two wines under the Fire + Flood label as well as the line’s flagship The Last Chapter wine.

The Fire Pinot Noir is produced from volcanic soils, while the Flood Pinot Noir includes grapes from vines planted in sedimentary soils, which give the wine a darker, suppler style, the companies say. The Last Chapter Pinot Noir is produced with fruit from four distinct vineyard sites, creating a sublime, top-tier Pinot Noir, they note. All Chapter 24 wines undergo minimal intervention, with "no mechanical extraction, no punch down, only gentle pump overs," according to a statement by Liger-Belair. This gives the wines a delicate, complex and quiet style, he added.

OBC also currently works with Tarlov on Maison L'Envoye, a joint venture focusing on the cultivation of Pinot Noir. Maison L'Envoye produces wines in Burgundy, France and Oregon. "Taking on the responsibility for the Chapter 24 winery brands was a natural next step based on the success to date of our joint ventures in France and the Northwest," OBC President Rob Buono said in a statement.

Chapter 24 Fire + Flood and Last Chapter wines are available through OBC for suggested prices of $60 and $90, respectively. OBC plans to make the wines available nationwide using its existing distributor network that works on a regional basis.