2015 Cristom Pinot Noir
Mt. Jefferson Cuvee~ Willamette Valley
$27.75
95 points Suckling, 91 points Wine Enthusiast, 90 Points Wine Advocate
48 bottles at this price 
 
We tasted the 2015 Cristom Mt.Jefferson Pinot on Friday afternoon. I have not gotten it out of my head. The 2015 Cristom is one of the best domestic Pinots I have tasted in forever.  I did not write any notes. I just sat there dazed by how amazing this Cristom is showing. This morning I read Suckling's description, "raspberry crumble, dried wild strawberries, orange peel and milk chocolate shavings."  What is not to love?  He keeps going, "crunchy red fruit... and a long finish."   Even Parker has some of my favorite things, baking spices and violets.  My suggestion is stock up - when do you get a 95-point wine under $28?    Michele

P.S. Rex's Notes are below the critics reviews.
 
95 Points!  JamesSuckling.com
"The nose is fresh and shows great depth with raspberry crumble, dried wild strawberries, orange peel and milk chocolate shavings. Medium- to full-bodied with lots of spicy, crunchy red fruit, tangy acidity, firm tannins and a long finish. So good now but better in 2019. "
 
COMING REVIEW IN FEBRUARY EDITION ~WINE ENTHUSIAST  
 
   
90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, August 2017
"Pale to mediu m ruby-pu rple in color, the 2015 Mt Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir has vibrant red cherry and black raspberry notes with suggestions of baking spices, fertile soil and violets. Medium-bodied with a good core of rich, ripe red berry flavors a nd a solid backbone of grainy tannins, it finishes with a refreshing lift." -Lisa Perrotti Brown 
 
Rex's Notes;
The 2015 Cristom Mt. Jefferson is vibrant. The flavor profile is multi -berry and wild. This Cristom exhibits fresh Bing cherry, wild raspberry and a tinge of blueberry at the finish. The spices are both Asian and baker. This Cristom is showing with multiple layers and nuances, it drinks easy yet it very serious bottle of Pinot Noir. The structure is rich like Chambolle Musigny.   


Technical notes
The flagship Pinot Noir of Cristom Vineyards- Mt. Jefferson CuvĂ©e is a blend of the Cristom estate Pinot Noir along with exceptional fruit we source from neighboring vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Each of these vineyards are farmed by committed winegrowers we are proud to partner with, each site adding to the character, fruit, and structure of the wine, giving "Mt. Jeff" its deserved reputation as one of the most stylistically consistent Pinot Noirs in the world.  
 
After multiple tastings of every lot of the vintage, it is the "Mt. Jeff" blend that our winemaker crafts first. Whole-cluster fermentations by native yeast and extended aging in French oak are the hallmarks of the Cristom winemaking style. This wine ages in the barrel for twelve months, and can stylistically be the most fresh and approachable of the Cristom Pinot Noirs in its youth.
 
Cristom
It was the promise of great wines that first drew Paul and Eileen Gerrie, owners of Cristom Vineyards, to Oregon. They conceived of a place where the succulent Pinot Noir grape could achieve its fullest expression - complex, hand crafted wines that are bold yet balanced: both powerful and elegant. Their wines evolve as they age, revealing ever grater richness and complexity with time. The abundance of soils and slopes in the hills of Oregon defined the Gerrie's vision of world class Pinot Noir. The warm winds of summer held the promise of rich Chardonnay, the cool sunny autumn yielded tart Pinot Gris. Since the inaugural vintage in 1992, the Gerries, along with winemaker Steve Doerner, have been producing wines that are considered the benchmark in Oregon and have made Cristom, named after their children, Christine and Tom, a veritable household name. " Winery notes