Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir 2008
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Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Tasted after one year in bottle. Brooding dark-raspberry and dark-cherry dominate the nose of this youthful and zesty Mt Jefferson. The wine is still very primary on the bouquet and it reminded us of a freshly filled oak barrel as creamy vanilla scents came wafting out of our glasses. True to form, Mt Jeff is juicy and ripe on the palate with delicate mouth coating tannins. This is a seriously notable edition of Mt Jeff that shows tremendous promise over the medium term.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This pinot leads with an exotic mélange of stem spices—caraway, anise, licorice—adorning fresh, bright cherry flavors. There’s beautiful tension between the bright fruit and savory elements, the finish focused and lifted at once, its lasting concentration a match for the complex flavors of fennel-roasted pork.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Dark ruby red, it offers up aromas of rose petal, spice box, incense, cherry, and raspberry. On the palate it displays medium body, sweet fruit, plenty of spice, and enough ripe tannin to evolve for 1-2 years. However, it can be approached now and over the next 6-8 years. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, continuity and consistency are the keys to Cristom’s success. The winemaking team led by Steve Doerner rose to the occasion, taking full advantage of the great raw materials provided by the 2008 vintage.
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Cristom Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery that has established itself as a top producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Eola-Amity Hills district of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Second-generation proprietor Tom Gerrie leads the production team, which includes long time winemaker Steve Doerner and recently arrived vineyard manager & winemaker Daniel Estrin. Each bring experience from working at top Pinot/Chardonnay producers in California: Doerner from Calera and Estrin from Littorai. Tom’s parents, Paul and Eileen Gerrie, founded the winery in 1992.
The estate is divided into five single vineyards: Jessie, Eileen, Marjorie, and Louise (all named for Matriarchs in the Gerrie family); and the newly added Paul Gerrie vineyard, acquired in 2012. There are 95 acres on vine throughout the 240-acre property. The majority vineyards are planted at a high density of around 2,300 vines per acre and heavily cropped to produce about 2 tons of fruit per acre.
Cristom farms its estate vineyards according to the biodynamic practices originated by Rudolph Steiner. In 2017 Tom began to implement biodynamic principles to bring the true expression of the vineyard into its wines. Cristom has been a leader in natural winemaking practices, including native yeast and an early pioneer of whole-cluster fermentation in the US. The vineyards and winery are Certified Sustainable by the Oregon LIVE program (Low Input Viticulture and Enology).
Vintage after vintage, Cristom produces top-quality wines, no matter how easy or challenging the elements make it. This consistency is a testament to the deep knowledge of the vineyard, the respect for the land, and a light touch in the cellar. Recognized globally as a leading producer in the beloved Willamette Valley, their wines continue to be a unique blend of tradition, modernity and finesse.
Home of some of the planet’s most amazingly elegant and expressive Pinot noir, the Willamette Valley is a pastoral, mixed landscape of green, bucolic rolling hills, dramatic forestlands and small, independent, friendly wine growers. As a leader in environmental stewardship, the valley has some of the nation’s most protective land use policies, with two-thirds of its vineyards farmed sustainably and over half, organically. While the valley claims a cool, continental climate, and is heavily influenced by the cold, moist winds of the Pacific Ocean, its warm and dry summers allow for the steady, even ripening of Pinot noir.
The potential of Willamette Valley Pinot noir continues to attract the investment of serious growers and winemakers both locally and from abroad, as naturally the finished wines bring accolades from professionals and enthusiasts. With a range of styles from delicate dried cherry, raspberry and hibiscus to stronger notes of truffle, mocha, plum and spice, a fine Willamette Valley Pinot noir is a perfect expression of both character and grace.