2024 Cristom - Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvee (750ml)

Cristom Vineyards was established in 1992 in Oregon's Eola-Amity Hills, where owner Tom Gerrie and winemaker Daniel Estrin have built a reputation for hand-harvested, native yeast Pinot Noir grown on the estate's volcanic hillsides. Mt. Jefferson Cuvée, affectionately known as Mt. Jeff, has been the flagship expression of that style since Cristom's very first vintage in 1994, blended earlier than any other wine in the lineup after extensive barrel by barrel tasting each year.

The 2024 vintage marks the wine's thirtieth anniversary and is, for the first time, crafted entirely from estate grown fruit, drawn from the Paul Gerrie, Eileen, Louise, and Jessie vineyards. The Eola-Amity Hills sit along the 45th parallel on diverse volcanic soils shaped by Columbia River basalt, with cooling ocean breezes funneled in through the Van Duzer Corridor. Grapes were hand-sorted and fermented with forty-three percent whole clusters using native yeasts, then aged eleven months on the lees in French oak, sixteen percent of it new, before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

The wine opens with pronounced floral notes of rose and lavender layered over blue fruit and plum, with subtle hints of earth underneath. On the palate, fresh acidity carries flavors of tart cherry and raspberry to a balanced, well defined finish. Its bright structure makes it a versatile match for roasted duck, grilled salmon, or a simple herb crusted pork loin.