Concise Total Synthesis of Acortatarin A

(+) and (?)-Dihydropinidine and (+)- and (?)-epidihydropinidine were synthesized from hydroxy esters 1 and 2 which had been prepared by yeast reduction of methyl (2-oxocyclohexyl)acetate. The enantiomeric excess at the C-1 positions of 1 and 2 were both determined as more than 99% ee.