J. Christopher Sandra Adele Pinot Noir 2014
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Wine &
Spirits -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Winemaker Notes
The J. Christopher Sandra Adele Pinot Noir is a cuvée named for Jay’s mother, Sandy. It is a blend of wines from two outstanding vineyards in the Dundee Hills AVA: Abbey Ridge and Charlie’s Vineyard. Simply gorgeous, this is both dark and bright in the aroma, intense and delicate on the palate. As is typical of this cuvée, it combines an earthy depth with an ethereal, floral lightness. It is delicate and fine, with the firm juicy acidity of the vintage, and a long, captivating finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Sandra Adele takes its name from winemaker Jay Somers’s mother; it’s drawn from two vineyards, Abbey Ridge and Charlie’s, in the Dundee Hills. This vintage has a delicate savor when first poured, with scents of woodsmoke and underbrush suggesting a crisp fall day. The flavors reflect that savory air, centered on a deep red cherry core with exceptional clarity and grace, the finish energized by exuberant acidity. (275 cases)
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James Suckling
Ripe strawberries with hints of spices and dried flowers on the nose. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a clean and racy finish. Very intense and focused. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Principally blended from Abbey Ridge vineyard fruit, this offers red plum and cherry fruit, with a distinct streak of pineapple. Native yeast was employed, along with aging in one-quarter new oak, adding hints of Asian spices. The length and balance are impressive.
Other Vintages
2015-
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Located in Oregon’s Northern Willamette Valley, J. Christopher Wines is a boutique winery that specializes in Pinot Noir made in the traditional style of Burgundy, and in Sauvignon Blanc modeled after the superlative wines of Sancerre. The winery is owned by world renowned Ernst Loosen, of Weingut Dr. Loosen in Germany. Erni’s lifetime passion for the wines of Burgundy has led to a philosophy to produce elegant, nuanced wines in a distinctly Old World style with an emphasis on lower alcohol and a modest amount of oak. The wines have garnered an international reputation for their purity, balance and food-friendly drinkability.
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.”
Home of the first Pinot noir vineyard of the Willamette Valley, planted by David Lett of Eyrie Vineyard in 1966, today the Dundee Hills AVA remains the most densely planted AVA in the valley (and state). To its north sits the Chehalem Valley and to its south, runs the Willamette River. Within the region’s 12,500 acres, about 1,700 are planted to vine on predominantly basalt-based, volcanic, Jory soil.