Cristom Pinot Noir 2018, Paul Gerrie Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Paul Gerrie Vineyard, named for Cristom’s founder, is a consistent, gentle sloping bench of deep volcanic soil just to the north of the original estate in the Eola Hills. For over 20 years Paul dreamt of acquiring the land and made the purchase shortly before his retirement in 2012 – capping his legacy with Cristom Vineyards. “With an unwavering commitment to grow estate fruit in the Eola-Amity Hills, we have been developing Paul Gerrie Vineyard since 2014 to be the cornerstone of the future of Cristom. With more than 22 acres of Pinot Noir and 6 acres of Chardonnay, Paul is now the fundamental vineyard source of our flagship wines Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir and Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay. The site combines some of the greatest aspects of the Cristom estate – soils, wind, elevation and slope – into a single vineyard that represents the culmination of knowledge gained from three decades of farming in the Eola Hills.” Winemaking: 50% whole cluster. 100% native yeast fermentations. 1-3 punch-downs daily in 1-5 ton open-top fermenters. Gently pressed in a pneumatic bladder press and moved to barrel by gravity. Undergoes a full malolactic fermentation in barrel. Fined with egg whites, unfiltered. Aged 17 months in French cooperage, 63% new oak.