Cristom Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills 2019

For many years, Cristom was THE savvy Eola-Amity Hills “insider” winery – but critics and wine lovers far and wide have caught on, bringing these lavish wines to the forefront. This double 96 point 2019 vintage is a single-vineyard stunner, bursting at the seams with intensity, and joyously over $20 off the winery price, with free shipping on 3 or more!

Cristom is an Oregon Pinot Noir trailblazer, with over three decades of producing some of Oregon’s finest. Founders Paul and Eileen Gerrie had a special entry into the wine world, as their friend, a wine expert you might have heard of once or twice – Robert Parker, Jr. – taught them all he knew about Burgundy and Bordeaux. It was Robert’s brother-in-law that showed them the land that would become the Cristom estate, and now, decades later, the second generation of the Gerrie family leads one of Eola-Amity Hills’ finest properties. These are highly sought-after expressions of the Willamette Valley’s unique terroir, and Cristom specializes in organic and biodynamic expressions of single vineyards across its estate.

The Jessie Vineyard is on the Cristom property’s steepest slope and harbors the largest elevation change and most diverse soils, mainly volcanic-basalt based. It is named after Paul Gerrie’s grandmother, and the vineyard is planted entirely in a west-east row orientation. 2019 is considered a classic and excellent vintage for Oregon – returning to a cooler, wet growing season after a streak of warm years, and resulting in wines with high natural acidity, vibrant freshness, and elegant purity.

The grapes here are hand-harvested and nearly half remain in whole clusters for fermentation, aging for 18 months in 42% new French oak barrels. The result is something luxurious and almost savory, with a dark crimson color and penetrating notes of cranberry, pomegranate, and dried cherry rounding out the core, surrounded by Chinese 5-spice, cardamom, dried violets, forest floor, and a touch of dark chocolate shavings. Vibrant, silky, and evocatively long on the finish, this is an Oregon Pinot Noir that masterfully knocks it out of the park. Free shipping is included on orders of 3 or more, though we only have so much to share – so do what you can to take a few of these home!

PAIRING IDEAS: We recently made these incredible banh mi meatball bowls, and they are downright fabulous with this rich and savory Pinot.