Hiroki Fujitsugu, owner of CONEXTION, a restaurant and wine bar frequented by wine producers from around the world, is a serious wine lover and promoter. He shares with us his experience of meeting late David Lett of The Eyrie Vineyards (photos by Takashi Morieda). We are planning to host a conversation between two Oregon Pinot Noir aficionados, Hiroki Fujitsugu and former wine journalist turned winemaker in Fujimi, Yoshiji Sato, early next year. Until then, please enjoy this piece.Papa Pinot? He was so much more than that.I first learnt about The Eyrie Vineyards in 2005. I was aware that the winery was established by David Lett, who was known as the ‘Father of Oregon Pinot’. It was the 22nd of February 1965, when David planted his first vines on a south slope in the red clay hills of the Dundee Hills (South Block) , despite countless oppositions, with the belief that this was the right place for Pinot Noir.In 1979, 14 years later, a French magazine held a Wine Olympics to showcase Pinot Noir from around the world, and The Eyrie South Block Reserve Pinot Noir 1975 from this vineyard won the 10th place.The following year, it was awarded second place in a blind tasting competition organized by J. Drouhin in France. This led to J.Drouhin, a prestigious French wine family, to set up in Oregon, and Oregon started attracting the wine world’s attention.Furthermore, President Clinton served Drouhin Oregon to the French President Chirac at a State Dinner at the White House, which secured Oregon’s place in the wine world. It’s no wonder that David Lett, the man who started all of this, is revered as the father of Oregon Pinot.In 2005, I was fortunate enough to be a member of the sommelier team at the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC), the world’s largest Pinot Noir festival, which brings together 1,350 people including 140 wine producers, for several days. at the Oregon IPNC 2005 (second person from right)As I was serving lunch on the last day of the event, there was a sudden buzz in the room. Everyone was looking towards the entrance, and when I looked, I saw an elderly person in a wheelchair. He was backlit by a bright sunshine, which surrounded him with almost divine aura.Then one of the local sommelier team came running up excitedly and said, “Hiroki! Do you know who he is? It’s David Lett! He’s a legend! It’s a miracle!” The same went for the other sommeliers in the room.When he went into the lunchroom, the 1,000 people in there welcomed him with a standing ovation. He was not just the father of Oregon Pinot, he was the god of Oregon wine.David Lett, a founder of The Eyrie Vineyards, known as ‘Papa Pinot’ for planting the first Pinot Noir in the Willamette ValleyHe was seated at a table our group was serving, and I don't think I've ever been so excited to work as a sommelier before or since. Three years later, David Lett passed away. It is a memory I will never forget.With David Lett (at IPNC, Oregon, 2005)The next time I attended the IPNC was in 2012 when a young winemaker came to my table. The winemaker’s name was Jason Lett. I distinctively remember that his unique series of Black Cap wines had a strength that I had never seen in The Eyrie Vineyard before.In the following years, I had the opportunity to have dinner with him in Japan, and that’s when we drank the 2009 Daphne. This wine was a wonderful combination of David Lett’s intentions and Jason Lett’s new sensibilities.In addition to Pinot Noir successes, the recently released 2012 planting of Trousseau is another one of Jason’s new challenges which I look forward to.Lunch at the Oregon State University campus. The IPNC has been hosted every summer since 1987 by a group of Oregon wine professionals and associates. Through tastings, symposiums, and visits to vineyards, the IPNC has become a place for Pinot Noir producers from around the world to interact with sommeliers, chefs, journalists, and food lovers.Hiroki FujitsuguJ.S.A. Certified Senior SommelierOwner / Sommelier, CONEXTIONAfter working as a sommelier at The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka, Fujitsugu worked as a manager at two restaurants before opening his current restaurant and wine bar, CONEXTION, in 2012. In addition to providing a space where customers can enjoy wine, he is also a lecturer at the Academy du Vin. After being selected as an outstanding restaurant in the first Oregon Wine Promotion, he participated in the IPNC in 2005, and since then has visited Oregon 10 times.Photo: Takashi Morieda