I have been getting into Oregon Pinots lately and pulled Cristom Mt. Jefferson from the store on a whim. Looks like there is some love for this one in the sub, so thought I'd give it a try.
Upon opening the nose there was a strong scent of herbal cherries. It almost reminded me of cough medicine. On the palate the cherry was joined by cranberry and blackberry with faint hints of vanilla, smoke, and forest floor. The finish was very long and left a savory meaty taste once the fruit faded. This is clearly a quality wine with complex flavors that evolved from spicy fruits to tertiary notes over time. The acidity of this wine was perfect, I found myself drinking the wine just for the acid.
All this said, I definitely prefer other Pinots. At a similar price point, I really enjoyed the 2022 Lingua Franca Avni. I've also tried and liked some Ken Wright, J. Christopher, King Estate to name a few. To me, this Cristom was stylistically very different from the others Oregon PN I've had and I guess I'm just not a fan of the savory flavor. Eyeing a Domaine Drouhin Oregon for my next, but would love suggestions.
by TC_Thomas51
13 Comments
Cristom Jesse Vineyard is their best, but since you say you’re not into the savory qualities that may be too much for you (it’s very spicy). You’ll probably like Drouhin, they tend to be a touch more fruit forward relative to Cristom. Soter is one of my favorites, and Bergström is arguably the best rn. Beaux Frères estate bottling is insane, and Cameron puts out some classic, almost old world tasting single vineyard Pinots.
Find anything you can from Cameron and give it a ton of air if it’s young. You will not be disappointed!
You’re nearly at the summit of Oregon pinot. Cristom has some of the best fruit from the best plots, their single vineyard bottlings are lovely.
If you don’t love Cristom because the finish leans away from fruit, I think you’ll find the same quality in DDO, both tend to lean very stylistically towards Burgundy and away from new world pinot.
If you’re not a fan of the savory flavor, look at some of the AVAs further north like Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, etc. The Eola-Amity Hills generally is going to have a darker and more savory character than the more fruit forward regions in the north end of the valley.
Just visited that winery and had a great time. Picked this up, one of the Jesse’s, their Chard and a few of the Viogners.
We just did a 10 winery trip to Willamette and Domaine Drouhin was by FAR our least favorite. Loved Lingua Franca, liked Lemelson quite a bit. We brought home bottles of Chardonnay from Haakon/Lenai, but liked the Pinot, too
Archery Summit makes exceptional wines, as does Torii Mor, I was also a big fan of Penner Ash. I haven’t been to the region since 2007 though so it’s been a minute.
You might not like the whole cluster. Maybe try Ken Wright Shea Vineyard or St. Innocent Shea Vineyard.
They use a good portion of whole cluster fermentation as well, so Cristom PNs tend to be more herbal wines.
Passed on this during the LB marathon and kind of regretting it now.
Edit: Drouhin is great!
Try the Eyrie Vineyards “Daphne”, if you want a really top tier Oregon Pinot. With a little time to breathe, they open up beautifully.
I run the wine program for a restaurant in Portland and if you’re looking for some good Oregon Pinot recommendations I’ll list some here that you might be able to find outside of Oregon:
-Bergstrom: they do a very specific type of whole cluster fermentation that is very gentle and gives the wines finesse and elegance, while still feeling generous. Plus they are some of the nicest, most generous people in the Valley.
-Hundred Suns: experimental and scientific in approach but classic in taste and profile. Quickly becoming one of my favorites. Grant and Renee are fucking rad and everyone who meets them falls in love with them.
-Flaneur: the wines tend to be on the more opulent side. Most of the fruit is from Chehalem Mts and Yamhill-Catlton, so spicy, red fruited, they don’t shy away from oak use.
-Martin Woods: I personally think Evan is one of the most talented and thoughtful winemakers working in Oregon. Very classic approach, Burgundian mindset but unmistakably Oregon.
-Evesham Woods: very classic Oregon. Complex and elegant.
Depending on your politics I would advise anyone to stay away from Domaine Serene and Ken Wright. Domaine Serene has donated a lot of money to Trump’s PACs and it’s long been rumored that Ken Wright is a Trumper as well.
I don’t know a lot about Oregons, sorry, but had to comment on the thin stem on that glass – very dainty and pretty! (I’m a clutz so would be worried about breaking it – but it’s beautiful) where did you get it?