2023 Brooks - Willamette Valley Riesling (750ml)

Jimi Brooks, a Portland native drawn to wine by his love of history and philosophy, founded Brooks in 1998. He was one of Oregon’s early champions of biodynamic farming. When he died suddenly in 2004 at just 38, his fellow winemakers came together to bring in that year’s harvest. Today his son Pascal owns the winery and his sister Janie Brooks Heuck leads it. The winery farms a biodynamic estate in the Eola-Amity Hills and remains one of Oregon’s strongest advocates for Riesling.

This bottling blends fruit from about eight vineyards across the Willamette Valley, each farmed to Brooks’ organic and biodynamic standards and adding its own soil and site character. The grapes go straight to the press, and the juice ferments cool in stainless steel to keep its aromatics vibrant and its acidity bright. The wine is made in a dry style, and about 1,000 cases are produced.

The 2023 offers aromas of citrus blossom, lemon oil, chamomile and wet stone, with hints of lychee and the faint petrol note typical of classic Riesling. The palate shows racy acidity and layers of lemon, pineapple, stone fruit and baked pear, finishing with a saline, oyster-shell minerality. Pair it with seared scallops, Thai curries or fresh oysters.