Cristom Pinot Noir, Jessie Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills, OR) 2022
Cristom Pinot Noir, Jessie Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills, OR) 2022
by sid_loves_wine
8 Comments
sid_loves_wine
Although this could use a short cellar nap to expand and integrate, DAMN. Already so deep, engaging, and complex.
Dense, ornate layers of spiced black cherries, mirto, lavender, licorice, root beer, and cool, dark forest floor emerging in the glass; I’m positive it’ll be considerably more effortless with a few years, but it’s not closed, just slightly compact. Palate is also saturated with spiced blackberries, almost showing some allspice or even cumin alongside powdery, intense whole cluster tannins that rise to a crescendo. At this very early stage, it’s honestly a bit on the tannic side without food, but it still works beautifully- you can just tell that it’s built for aging, a very serious and classical Pinot that doesn’t clearly fit into either a rich/round style nor a bright acid-driven one.
If anything, this is one of the very, very few US Pinot noirs I would *actually* describe as Burgundian, which is thrown around as a descriptor constantly and almost never applies IMO. It’s not a quality thing, either, it’s a stylistic thing, and it has very little to do with “lightness” or lower ABV which seems to be a common association. At the very least, if someone told me that it was a young 1er Cru or something from a fairly warm year, I’d immediately believe them. It has that telltale damp, earthy forest accent all over the place, and not in the typical bright piney Oregon way, more like mushroom, undergrowth, and treated cedar. Amazing how it’s so earth and mineral driven, but leaves plenty of room for generous, precise dark fruit that sits on the cusp of red and black.
Their Mt. Jefferson bottling is one of the best Pinots available for sub-$50 imo- this was super similar to my experiences with that, just with everything turned up a notch (depth, intensity, structure, length, etc)
zappapostrophe
Great notes, written up immaculately. It’s rare that I can actually taste a wine from the notes!
You’ve also introduced me to mirto. I think I need a bottle.
noodles-_-
Great, accurate tasting notes. I sell a lot of Willamette Valley Pinot and this may be my favorite. Jesse vineyard is Cristom’s highest and steepest plot. It’s a mix of marine sediment and Jory soils. Dry farmed, the vines dig deep and produce relatively lower yields of very concentrated, spicy fruit.
0dirtyrice0
When Paul Gerrie came to New Orleans like 10-15 years ago, it changed how I think of not just new world Pinot, but how real values matter in making wine. It’s just a pure story of people loving what they do, doing it for those they love, and treating the land with love for generations to come.
The wine is masterful. The juice is enviable. But their reason for being is most important.
I wish more people could meet their family to understand that wine is so much more than ratings.
Seeing posts like this make me so happy, just knowing that their work has a deep impact on their customers. This is the what great wine is all about.
LongroddMcHugendong
Cristom and DDO are both making spectacular wines, and I agree w your notes their 2022 top bottlings are crazy intense and still tighter than a tick at this point. I somehow have to muster the strength to let them lie a bit longer.
fancyseacreature
Cristom single vineyard Pinots are dreamlike. I once got to try 6 or 7 in one sitting at a luncheon, and I’m surprised my face didn’t freeze after all of the eyes rolling back in my head
Millennial_Wine_Guy
Fanatic notes as always, Sid! Another win for Eola-Amity Hills. I’ve always found the wines from this AVA to have such a depth and seriousness to them that was hard to find elsewhere in the valley. Now I’m off to hunt down this Cristom offering!
xN0T_A_C0P
Thrilling write up! Hoping to crack this with my wife to celebrate our first child here very soon.
8 Comments
Although this could use a short cellar nap to expand and integrate, DAMN. Already so deep, engaging, and complex.
Dense, ornate layers of spiced black cherries, mirto, lavender, licorice, root beer, and cool, dark forest floor emerging in the glass; I’m positive it’ll be considerably more effortless with a few years, but it’s not closed, just slightly compact. Palate is also saturated with spiced blackberries, almost showing some allspice or even cumin alongside powdery, intense whole cluster tannins that rise to a crescendo. At this very early stage, it’s honestly a bit on the tannic side without food, but it still works beautifully- you can just tell that it’s built for aging, a very serious and classical Pinot that doesn’t clearly fit into either a rich/round style nor a bright acid-driven one.
If anything, this is one of the very, very few US Pinot noirs I would *actually* describe as Burgundian, which is thrown around as a descriptor constantly and almost never applies IMO. It’s not a quality thing, either, it’s a stylistic thing, and it has very little to do with “lightness” or lower ABV which seems to be a common association. At the very least, if someone told me that it was a young 1er Cru or something from a fairly warm year, I’d immediately believe them. It has that telltale damp, earthy forest accent all over the place, and not in the typical bright piney Oregon way, more like mushroom, undergrowth, and treated cedar. Amazing how it’s so earth and mineral driven, but leaves plenty of room for generous, precise dark fruit that sits on the cusp of red and black.
Their Mt. Jefferson bottling is one of the best Pinots available for sub-$50 imo- this was super similar to my experiences with that, just with everything turned up a notch (depth, intensity, structure, length, etc)
Great notes, written up immaculately. It’s rare that I can actually taste a wine from the notes!
You’ve also introduced me to mirto. I think I need a bottle.
Great, accurate tasting notes. I sell a lot of Willamette Valley Pinot and this may be my favorite. Jesse vineyard is Cristom’s highest and steepest plot. It’s a mix of marine sediment and Jory soils. Dry farmed, the vines dig deep and produce relatively lower yields of very concentrated, spicy fruit.
When Paul Gerrie came to New Orleans like 10-15 years ago, it changed how I think of not just new world Pinot, but how real values matter in making wine. It’s just a pure story of people loving what they do, doing it for those they love, and treating the land with love for generations to come.
The wine is masterful. The juice is enviable. But their reason for being is most important.
I wish more people could meet their family to understand that wine is so much more than ratings.
Seeing posts like this make me so happy, just knowing that their work has a deep impact on their customers. This is the what great wine is all about.
Cristom and DDO are both making spectacular wines, and I agree w your notes their 2022 top bottlings are crazy intense and still tighter than a tick at this point. I somehow have to muster the strength to let them lie a bit longer.
Cristom single vineyard Pinots are dreamlike. I once got to try 6 or 7 in one sitting at a luncheon, and I’m surprised my face didn’t freeze after all of the eyes rolling back in my head
Fanatic notes as always, Sid! Another win for Eola-Amity Hills. I’ve always found the wines from this AVA to have such a depth and seriousness to them that was hard to find elsewhere in the valley. Now I’m off to hunt down this Cristom offering!
Thrilling write up! Hoping to crack this with my wife to celebrate our first child here very soon.