Cristom Vineyards Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Eola-Amity Pinot Noir 2021
(Willamette Valley, Oregon) - [IWR 97] [JS 94] [DM 93] [JD 92+]

Notes from the Winemaker:
Mt. Jefferson Cuvee is a blend of the Cristom estate Pinot Noir vineyards along with exceptional fruit we source from neighboring vineyards in the Willamette Valley. These vineyard sites have been thoughtfully selected over the years, and are planted on a variety of soil types, elevations and aspects, representing the Willamette Valley Appellation as a broader whole. These vineyards are farmed by committed winegrowers we are proud to partner with, 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 barrel for twelve months, and can stylistically be the most fresh and approachable of the Cristom Pinot Noirs in its youth.

Winemaking

Hand harvested and hand sorted fruit, 40% whole clusters,

1-3 punch-downs daily in 1-7 ton open-top fermenters

Gently pressed in a pneumatic bladder press, moved to barrel by gravity 

Undergoes a full malolactic fermentation in barrel

Fined with egg whites, unfiltered

ALC: 13.5%
TA: 5.6 g/L
pH: 3.6
AGING: 11 months in French cooperage, 30% new oak

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - International Wine Report:
"I’m incredibly impressed with the 2021s coming from the Cristom Estate, and this one is a perfect example of the phenomenal wines from the vintage. The Mt. Jefferson Estate Pinot Noir was just recently released, but it feels ready to drink now with impeccable balance, structure, and length. Notes of wild huckleberry, toasted anise, perfumed flowers, spiced red plum, and a hint of tangerine zest combine beautifully on the tongue. Delivering perfect balance, mouthwatering acidity, and rounded tannins, this will be a fun wine to watch over the next ten years to see how it evolves with age." (11/2022)

94 Points - James Suckling:
"Pretty notes of mulberries, spiced cherries, cloves and tea leaves. Some mushroom. It’s so silky, supple and delicious with very fine tannins. I like the savory tightness and minerality. Some rusty hints, too. Tight finish. 43% whole cluster. Drink from 2024." (4/23)

93 Points - Decanter:
"Made from 62% estate fruit and spending 11 months in barrel, this is Cristom's appellation wine, and it more than delivers, as they take the same approach they do with their single-vineyard bottlings. Bright and open aromatics of red berries, spearmint and savoury herbs. The palate is light and fresh with ample structure owing to the Eola-Amity spice and Cristom's whole structure approach—flavours of blue and red berries, savoury thyme and crushed basalt minerality. 2023 - 2030." -CP (5/23)

95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2019 Vintage):
"The caliber of the 2019 Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir, Cristom's largest-production SKU, is impressive this vintage. Medium ruby-purple, it features savory cranberry sauce, orange peel and tar aromas with tones of dried flowers and spice. The medium-bodied palate offers the pleasing, gently grippy tannins and bright freshness characteristic of Cristom's generous whole-cluster inclusion, and it finishes with intense, layered fruits and floral accents." - Erin Brooks (Dec 2021)

92+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck:

"The flagship wine of the house, the jeweled rub-colored 2021 Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvée is flush with pure primary fruit up front, including notes of ripe wild cherry, crushed flowers, and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it displays good purity and ripeness on the palate, with mouth-filling fruit and a clean finish. Long on the palate, this is a killer value to drink over the next 5-7 years. - Audrey Frick (9/23)