Winemaker Notes
Cristom Rose of Pinot Noir is comprised entirely of fruit from the Eola-Amity estate. For this release, Cristom blended one cluster from each plant of specific blocks of the Jessie and Louise Vineyards, to the base of the wine, which hails from their third-leaf Paul Gerrie Vineyard plantings. This blending choice brings intensity and weight to the rose, while at the same time allowing for longer hang time for the Pinot remaining on the vine. Crisp hints of watermelon, petite strawberry and lychee fruit highlights this fresh, vibrant wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of strawberry and watermelon sit in a fresh and attractively fruit-driven style. The palate has fresh and soft strawberry flavors. Bright acidity on the finish. All works well. Drink now.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.