Rose & Arrow
Summary
Rose & Arrow Estate is a boutique Willamette Valley producer founded in 2017 that focuses exclusively on Pinot Noir from precisely mapped volcanic soil microsites across several Oregon sub-appellations. Their scientific approach combines electromagnetic soil analysis with traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques to identify and vinify tiny Loups parcels separately, creating an ultra-limited portfolio of wines that express specific geological characteristics rather than merely fruit profiles.
Heritage & Leadership
Rose & Arrow Estate emerged in 2017 as a focused exploration of Oregon's Willamette Valley terroir, founded by Mark Tarlov in collaboration with Louis-Michel Liger-Belair and Pedro Parra. Tarlov, who previously established Evening Land Vineyards and Chapter 24, brought together this team of experts to pursue a new level of site expression in Oregon Pinot Noir. Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, whose family has deep roots in Burgundy's Vosne-Romanée, contributes his winemaking expertise, while Chilean terroir specialist Pedro Parra brings his geological knowledge to the project.
The estate operates as a sister project to Chapter 24 Vineyards but with a distinct mission: identifying and vinifying exceptional small parcels within established vineyards that they call "Loups" (which means "wolves" in French). This leadership team combines Old World winemaking philosophy with cutting-edge geological analysis to map and isolate these distinctive microsites.
Vineyards & Wines
Rose & Arrow works with multiple vineyard sites throughout the Willamette Valley, focusing on hillside locations with volcanic soils. Their approach involves extensive geological mapping to identify specific parcels within these vineyards that display unique characteristics. These parcels, ranging from 0.5 to 2 acres, become the foundation for their single-parcel wines.
The estate's vineyards span several Willamette Valley sub-appellations, including Eola-Amity Hills, Dundee Hills, and Yamhill-Carlton. Their vineyard selection prioritizes sites with basalt-derived soils at varying stages of decomposition, which they believe provides the most transparent expression of Oregon terroir. The portfolio consists primarily of Pinot Noir, with wines organized in a hierarchical structure: Estate, Villages, and the top-tier Gathered Stones bottlings that represent their most distinctive parcels.
Philosophy & Practice
Rose & Arrow's methodology centers on the identification of specific geological formations within vineyards that produce distinctive wines. Working with Pedro Parra, the team conducts extensive soil analysis, including electromagnetic conductivity mapping and soil pit excavations reaching depths of six feet or more. This allows them to identify what they term "points of resonance" – precise locations where soil structure, drainage, and mineral composition create optimal conditions for vine growth and flavor development.
In the winery, their approach combines traditional techniques with precise parcel selection. Fermentations occur with native yeasts, and the wines age in French oak barrels with a measured approach to new oak. The production remains deliberately small, with each parcel vinified separately to preserve its distinctive characteristics. This parcel-by-parcel approach represents a methodical effort to map the Willamette Valley's terroir at a granular level, identifying sites that produce wines with distinctive mineral expressions and structural elements rather than simply fruit characteristics.