Arterberry Maresh
Summary
Arterberry Maresh is a third-generation family winery in Oregon's Dundee Hills producing small-batch Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from some of the Willamette Valley's oldest vines, planted on iron-rich Jory soils at 500-800 feet elevation. Jim Maresh Jr. crafts his wines using native fermentations and gentle handling techniques in a converted barn winery, emphasizing vineyard expression through dry-farming practices and restrained oak influence.
Heritage & Leadership
Arterberry Maresh represents a significant chapter in Oregon's winegrowing history, with roots tracing back to 1970 when Jim and Loie Maresh planted what would become one of the Willamette Valley's pioneering vineyards. The winery itself was established in 2005 when Jim Maresh, grandson of the original vineyard founders, created the Arterberry Maresh label, combining his mother's maiden name (Arterberry) with the family name.
Jim Maresh Jr. serves as both proprietor and winemaker, continuing the family's winegrowing tradition into its third generation. The winery operates from a converted barn on the family's historic property in the Dundee Hills AVA. Under Jim's leadership, Arterberry Maresh has maintained a focused production model, crafting small-batch wines primarily from the family's original vineyard plantings and select neighboring sites.
The winery marks a continuation of the Maresh family's significant contribution to Oregon's wine industry, with their original vineyard being among the first planted in the Dundee Hills. This heritage provides Arterberry Maresh with access to some of the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in the Willamette Valley, many dating back to the early 1970s.
Vineyards & Wines
Arterberry Maresh sources fruit primarily from the historic Maresh Vineyard, established in 1970 in the Dundee Hills AVA. This 140-acre property includes approximately 40 acres of vineyards planted on southeast-facing slopes at elevations ranging from 500 to 800 feet. The vineyard features the red Jory soils typical of the Dundee Hills, composed of iron-rich volcanic basalt that provides excellent drainage.
The oldest blocks in Maresh Vineyard contain Pinot Noir vines planted in 1970, 1974, and 1983, with Chardonnay plantings dating to 1983. These old-vine blocks, now over 40 years old, form the backbone of the winery's most distinctive bottlings. The vineyard is dry-farmed, relying solely on natural rainfall rather than irrigation.
In addition to the estate vineyard, Arterberry Maresh works with fruit from other established Dundee Hills sites, including Weber Vineyard and Juliette Vineyard. The winery's production focuses almost exclusively on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with particular emphasis on single-vineyard expressions that highlight the distinctive characteristics of these mature sites.
The portfolio includes several vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs, notably the Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir and Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir, along with their Dundee Hills Pinot Noir blend. Their Chardonnay program features the Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay and a Dundee Hills bottling.
Philosophy & Practice
Arterberry Maresh adheres to a minimalist winemaking approach that emphasizes vineyard expression over cellar manipulation. The winemaking process begins with hand-harvesting and careful sorting of fruit, followed by gentle handling throughout production.
For Pinot Noir, Jim Maresh employs varying percentages of whole clusters depending on the vintage conditions, typically fermenting in small open-top fermenters with native yeasts. Extraction is achieved through gentle punch-downs rather than more aggressive pump-overs. The wines age in French oak barrels, with new oak usage kept deliberately modest—typically between 15-30% for most bottlings—to preserve the fruit character and site expression.
The Chardonnays follow a similar non-interventionist path, with whole-cluster pressing, native fermentation, and aging in French oak barrels with limited new oak influence. The wines typically undergo full malolactic fermentation and remain on their lees during aging to develop texture and complexity.
All vineyard sources for Arterberry Maresh are dry-farmed, a practice that forces vines to develop deeper root systems and often results in more concentrated fruit. The winery maintains small production levels, allowing for meticulous attention throughout the winemaking process. This focused approach has established Arterberry Maresh as a producer of wines that authentically express the character of some of Oregon's most historic vineyard sites.