J. Christopher

The Basalte Pinot Noir is our bedrock bottling from the Willamette Valley. It is sourced from vineyards that have fairly thin volcanic clay topsoil over fractured basalt. This type of very rocky soil lends itself to muscular, firmly structured wines, with persistent length. The Basalte captures this expressive character of the soil, with deep red fruit and a fine tannic structure that maintains the elegant style we are seeking.

The Eola-Amity Hills AVA lies about 15 miles southwest of the winery, where a notch through the Coast Range allows cool ocean winds to flow in from the west, dropping temperatures dramatically during late summer afternoons. This helps to retain firm acidity in the fruit. The 2019 is warm and full in the aroma, with a lush fruitiness on the palate. A spicy vibrance gives it a wonderfully lively and delicate texture.

The Volcanique cuvée is a selection of outstanding barrels from vineyards we work with in the Dundee Hills. The wine showcases the savory quality, the fruit purity, and the fine-grained texture that characterizes the deep, red volcanic clay of these hills. The 2019 is an excellent example, with its delicately floral fruit aromas, silky texture and structural finesse. As with all of our wines, it has the depth and structure to age gracefully for many years.

The Bieze vineyard sits high up in the Eola Hills, where it benefits from cool ocean breezes that flow through the Van Duzer Corridor, a break in the Coast Range. This allows for longer hang time, as the grapes ripen more slowly while retaining superb acidity. The Pommard clone of Pinot is grown here in soils formed from layers of volcanic basalt. The 2019 bursts out of the glass with very energizing fruit aromas. On the palate it has an energetic structure and a vibrant finish.

This special cuvée is from our own Appassionata Vineyard, which surrounds the Appassionata Estate winery. We have a great diversity of soil types and clones, giving us many options for the blending palette. This edition is a blend of fruit from the rockiest parts of the vineyard, which has thin volcanic clay topsoil over fractured basalt bedrock. It’s amazing to see how this very rocky soil is reflected in the firm structure, dark, brambly fruit and forceful texture of the wine.

The Medici vineyard is situated on the south-facing Chehalem Mountain slope, just a few miles east of the J. Christopher winery. The oldest blocks were planted in 1976, producing lovely, distinctive Pinot Noir and Riesling fruit. We took over the farming in 2015 and immediately converted it to organic viticulture. The old vines bring complexity and layers of minerality, with less of an emphasis on overt fruitiness, making this an ideal site for our style of winemaking.

The Bella Vida vineyard is one of the most beautiful sites in the heart of the Dundee Hills. With its deep red Jory clay and its stunning view of the Willamette Valley, this vineyard consistently produces exceptional fruit that captures the essence of this beautiful place on earth. The 2019 has a rich, spicy aroma and an elevated lushness on the palate, with the finesse and fine tannin structure that are characteristic of these hills.