Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very floral but powerful, with aromas of forest botanicals and an Aperol bitterness. Flavors of cherries and orange liqueur reminiscent of a Negroni. Perfumed flowers and botanicals carry through the finish. Medium- to full-bodied and seamless.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A bright red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard is spicy and layered, with notes of cherries, raspberries, cardamom, and fresh leather. From a very steep site with a mix of Dijon and Pommard clones, the wine is medium-bodied, with refined tannins and balanced acidity. It begins to reveal underlying umami tones and a gravelly earthiness as it opens in the glass. Winemaker Daniel Estrin has begun significantly reducing the new oak usage, as is evident in this wine, which saw 26% new oak versus around 60% in past vintages. Drink 2025-2040.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard entices with a dark floral presence as lavender and crushed violets open the stage for citrus-infused raspberries. Velvety and elegant in style, it reveals depths of ripe red and blue fruits riding a stream of cooling acidity. Fine-grained tannins add youthful poise as the 2023 tapers off with impressive balance.
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Wine Spectator
Keenly structured and detailed, showing handsome flavors of raspberry and blueberry highlighted by black tea and forest floor tones as this builds tension and richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2034.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard was fermented with 45% whole clusters and matured for 18 months in 32% new French oak. It floods the senses with wild cherry, pomegranate, flint, cured meats and pipe tobacco aromas. The medium-bodied palate is powerfully styled with concentrated, savory flavors and chalky tannins. It’s balanced by refreshing acidity and has a long, layered finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
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.