2022 Cristom Vineyards Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills 750 ml

Cristom has some of the oldest and best vineyards in Eola-Amity Hills. They’ve got winemaker Daniel Estrin, a BRILLIANT alum of Littorai and a biodynamic farming sage. Winemaker emeritus Steve Doerner enjoys near-shamanic standing among his peers after 30 harvests in Oregon, and the winery has landed on the Wine & Spirits Top 100 ELEVEN times out of the last twelve years. 

Tom Gerrie, the owner and winegrower of Cristom Vineyards, was raised on the Willamette Valley estate from the age of 8, and from that young age, he worked the land and absorbed the lessons of his father, Paul. 

When Paul purchased the property in 1992, one site caught his eye: an 11-acre plot situated on a steep, wooded hillside, reaching up to 550 feet in elevation. He began planting the Pommard and Dijon clones of Pinot Noir there in 1994, naming the site after his paternal grandmother, Jessie Summers. Today, the Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir is among the brightest lights in Cristom’s all-star line-up, characterized by rich purple and blue floral aromas, stony minerality, and a dark, velvety texture.

A number of variables align to make this site so special. High vine density forces roots to spider deep into the shallow, Columbia River basalt soils at the top of the hill, making for smaller clusters whose berries are packed with concentration. The climate is a study in moderation, with warm days balanced by cool nights, and gusting 25 mph Pacific Ocean winds helping to even out hotter summer temperatures, resulting in fruit with bright acidity and superb structure and length.