The Vineyards of Cristom

       Cristom cultivates eight distinct vineyards planted to Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Viognier and Syrah; currently a total of 65 acres are in production. The vineyards are dry farmed with the focus on quality fruit with low yields and high density planting.  Cristom's vineyards are named for family matriarchs.  The six ladies' vineyards each have natural variances in soil and elevation, and the grapes they nurture were selected to highlight each vineyard's distinct attributes.  People often identify a favorite among Cristom's 'ladies,' recognizing that each nurtures a style and flavor all her own.  In the end, each Cristom vintage produces a distinctive expression of the entire growing year, the specific site and the imprint of the winemaker's hand. 

2009 Estate Viognier
Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley
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Until recently, this grape varietal was found almost exclusively in the small Northern Rhone appellation known as Condrieu, where its ancestry could be traced to Roman times. Today it is more widely planted but it’s still rare in the Willamette Valley. We planted 1-1/4 acres of Viognier in 1993 on the warmest site at Cristom. We planted an additional 1-3/4 acres in 2003 that is adjacent to the original planting.

Origin:  100% Estate fruit
Appellation: Willamette Valley - Eola-Amity Hills AVA
 

2009 Estate Pinot Gris
Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley
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The 2009 Pinot Gris is made from our 5-acre estate vineyard Emilia, along with a small amount of purchased fruit, and named after Eileen Gerrie’s grandmother. It was planted in 1993 and is adjacent to the winery. The vines were planted at a high density with two different clones and two different rootstocks.

WINERY NOTES:
Pale-gold in color, the 2009 Pinot Gris brings to mind a fruit cocktail, with attitude. On the nose, It offers up the well articulated aromas of white flowers, orange blossom, tangerine zest, bartlet pear and melon. The rich fruitiness is framed—and balanced by, a crisp and refreshing acidity that is mouthwatering. A certain, coconut-milk creaminess echoes into the finish, along with sweet spices. Pair this wine with good times and sunshine or any form of sustainable shrimp or crab harvested from the Oregon coast.

Origin: 59% Estate \ 41% Southern Willamette Valley
Fermentation:  Stainless Steel fermented, 100% Malo Lactic fermentation, wine was inoculated with commercial yeast.
Aging:  Aged 11 months on its lees in stainless steel tanks
Bottling:  Bottled in Sept 2010
Alcohol:  13.5 %
RS:  0.4%
Production:  2311 cases
 

2009 Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
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This wine comes from a blend of twelve different vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley, including fruit from our four estate vineyards.  The Mt Jefferson Cuvee is the first of our six Pinot Noirs to be released each year and has been produced at Cristom since 1994.  It is named for Mt Jefferson (10,501 ft) in the Cascade Range that is due east of Cristom and dramatically visible from our tasting room.

Origin: 76.5% Eola-Amity Hills, 14.5% Coastal Foothills, Southern Willamette Valley 8%, 1% Yamhill Carlton District (38% Estate fruit)
Clones: Dijon (113, 114, 115, 667, 777 and 828); Pommard & Wädensvil
Appellation: Willamette Valley
Fermentation: Although this wine is made from many individual lots, they were generally fermented with 37% whole clusters. Native yeasts were used exclusively in open-top fermenters ranging in size from one to twelve tons.
Aging: Twelve months in French cooperage, 13% new oak
Bottling: Blended and bottled unfiltered in October 2010
Alcohol: 14.2%
Total Acidity: 5.4 g/l
pH at bottling: 3.70
Production: 5936 cases produced

WINERY NOTES:
Medium ruby color. The 2009 Mt Jeff is as fulgent as the lighthouse at Yaquina Head on the Oregon Coast—radiant—bright and instantly appealing.  This 16th edition of our Cristom flagship wine is already showing the sweet-raspberry and cinnamon-spices that are its hallmark.  We noted savory elements on the palate, like Matsutake mushroom, rare beef and forest floor.  Don’t be afraid to give it a year or two in your cellar or try it tonight with some fire-grilled Kookoolan Farms lamb chops or quail grilled on a rosemary skewer.

2008 Sommers Reserve Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley
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The ‘Sommers’ is comprised of grapes from our four estate vineyards along with some purchased fruit.  The Reserve designation indicates a longer aged barrel selection of our favorite lots. The final cuvee contains seven different Pinot Noir clones. Cristom introduced the “Sommers Reserve” with the 2004 vintage, replacing the Cristom Reserve designation and continuing stylistically as the same wine. ‘Sommers’ is Jessie’s (of Jessie Vineyard) maiden name.

Origin: 90% Eola-Amity Hills, 6% Willamette Foothills, 4% Dundee Hills,
(73% Estate fruit)
Appellation: Willamette Valley
Fermentation: Although this wine is made from many individual lots, they were generally fermented with 47% whole clusters.  Native yeasts were used exclusively in open top fermenters ranging in size from one to seven tons.
Aging: Seventeen months in Burgundian cooperage, 59% new oak
Bottling: Blended and bottled unfiltered on April 6, 2010
Alcohol: 14.2%
Total Acidity: 5.5 g/l
Production: 2058 cases

WINERY NOTES:
The 2008 edition of the Sommers Reserve is full of promise! Swirled in the glass, there’s a riot of intriguing and complex aromas that seem to change every time you revisit your glass. It does reveal a pleasant brambly and green quality that brings to mind basil and and an entire blackberry bush—leaves--berries and thorns. Add a hint of faded rose petal and dust the whole picture with cocoa powder and wait about two years, when more will be revealed. Take a sip, and be prepared for a voluptuous, juicy and very balanced wine that tastes of savory spices, rare beef and vanilla. This is the only the ‘first act’ for this gorgeous cellar candidate

2009 Marjorie Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir
Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley
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Marjorie Vineyard was planted in 1982. It is the only vineyard that Cristom kept when the property was purchased in 1992. It is a distinctive site that has wider spacing (630 vines per acre) than the subsequently planted vineyards. All the vineyards are planted on mineral-rich volcanic soils, but the soils of Marjorie have the highest percentage of the Jory type. Marjorie is also more east-facing than our other vineyard sites.

Origin:  100% Estate fruit
Clones:  Pommard and Wädensvil clones along with Dijon clones (114, 115, 777)

NEW RELEASE - Notes and details coming
 

2009 Eileen Vineyard Pinot Noir
Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley
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We began planting this vineyard in 1997. This 15.25-acre site is the youngest of our estate Pinot Noir vineyards. It starts at about 700 feet making it the highest elevation vineyard at Cristom. It consists primarily of volcanic soil (Jury) and is planted at the high density of 2300 vines per acre. The wine is a selection of our favorite barrels from the vineyard. It is the first of our estate vineyards to be farmed entirely by organic methods.  Four new acres of Wädenswil clones were planted in 2006 and are now contributing to the harvest.

NEW RELEASE - Notes and details coming