Cristom Vineyards Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021

The Cristom Vineyards Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from single vineyard fruits of the Jessie Vineyard located up in the Eola-Amity Hills of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

The Jessie Vineyard, named for winegrower-owner Tom Gerrie’s great-grandmother Jessie Summers, was established in 1994 after the Gerrie family saw great potential in planting a steep, east-facing hillside. Ranging in elevation from 320 ft to 550 ft (98 m to 168 m), this 11.53 acre (4.67 hectare) site is one of the steepest in Oregon, and the most challenging to farm on the Cristom Estate.

The Cristom Vineyards Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir has a very distinctive nose with a wild array of red berries and cherries, Chinese five-spice, dried flowers and earthy notes. The palate has a very assertive edge with a powerful core of intense tannins carrying a spicy thread of rich dark cherries and dark plums in a defined, savoury and athletic stance.

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard opens with a dusty bouquet of rich autumnal spices, hints of ginger and crushed raspberry. This sweeps across the palate with a wave of ripe wild berries guided by zesty acidity, taking on a distinct savoriness toward the close. Hints of blood orange and bitter dark chocolate linger long as the 2021 tapers off with youthful tension and a layer of grippy tannins that frame the experience beautifully. The Jessie is the most wildly appealing of the Cristom single vineyards, presenting a little of something for everyone." - Vinous (AG), 94 points

"Lush with notes of dusty earth, the deep ruby-colored 2021 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard is rosy and pure, with wild raspberry liqueur, anise, and orange. Medium-bodied with a focused feel, while retaining ripe red fruit, it offers fine tannins and fresh acidity throughout. It has a bit of texture that I think comes from stem tannins, but they’re ripe and well-integrated. It’s going to benefit from a few more years of bottle age." - Jeb Dunnuck, 94 points