Monument Wines Daughter Pinot Noir Syrah 2025

The Land

Pinot Noir and Syrah rarely share a bottle because they rarely share a climate, and Oregon is one of the few places where a short drive covers both. Daughter has always been built on that split. In past vintages the Pinot came from the cool, rain-fed Willamette Valley, including the organically farmed Rodriguez family vineyard, while the Syrah came from warmer ground: the McAllister vineyard in the Columbia Gorge in 2021, and the Applegate Valley in southern Oregon in 2022. The Gorge is a 40-mile corridor where annual rainfall drops from about 36 inches at the western edge to under 10 at the eastern end, over volcanic, loess and flood-deposited soils. That eastern warmth is what gives Syrah enough ripeness to add color and spice to a bright Pinot.

The Wine

Monument Wines Daughter Pinot Noir Syrah 2025 is a light red blend, Pinot-led, with Syrah in a supporting role; recent vintages ran 75 to 80 percent Pinot Noir. The house method has stayed consistent: hand-harvested fruit, whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts, élevage across concrete, stainless steel and neutral barrels, and bottling unfined and unfiltered. Alcohol in past vintages sat under 12 percent. Whole clusters bring lift and crunch, and the low alcohol keeps the wine fast and juicy. Expect crunchy red cherry and cranberry, a blackcurrant edge from the Syrah, powdery tannins, and a peppery finish. This is a chillable natural red; 20 minutes in the fridge is the way to enjoy this.

The People

Tyler Magyar grew up on the Jersey Shore, the son of a chocolatier, and says he grew up in shops. He studied at The New School in New York, worked a wine-store cellar, then spent a few years in Paris absorbing the casual way the French drink. Back in New York, selling wine, he fell for value-minded Oregon producers such as Fausse Piste and Bow & Arrow, and eventually moved west. His first harvest was 2017, helping Andy Young at The Marigny, who later lent him space to experiment. Monument's first commercial vintage followed in 2018. Magyar buys fruit rather than farming it, and the project's guiding word is sincerity: in sourcing, in the cellar, and in who he works with.

Food Pairing

Daughter's acidity and light tannin make it a red that works with spice and heat. Try Thai larb gai with toasted rice powder, lime and mint; the bright fruit cools the chile. Grilled pork banh mi with pickled carrot and daikon plays the wine's crunch against the vinegar. A Detroit-style pepperoni pizza gets cut cleanly by the acidity, and roast chicken thighs with harissa and lemon pick up the Syrah's pepper. Keep a bottle chilled in the door for the night takeout shows up.