Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Located in the Willamette Valley, in northwest Oregon, Cristom Vineyards is situated in the Eola-Amity Hills, known for their volcanic soils and cool oceanic influences. The Paul Gerrie cuvée primarily comes from hillside plots around the estate, benefiting from cool winds from the Pacific that temper summer temperatures. This geographical location promotes slow and even ripening of the grapes, preserving natural acidity and aromatic finesse, while precisely expressing the character of the volcanic terroirs in this part of the Willamette Valley.
The grapes for the Paul Gerrie cuvée are hand-picked, meticulously sorted, and partially destemmed before a cold pre-fermentation maceration. Fermentation takes place in open-top tanks with indigenous yeasts, gentle punch-downs (pigeages) and pump-overs (remontages) to delicately extract color and tannins. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, a proportion of which are new, for an extended period on fine lees, with limited rackings to preserve the aromatic integrity and structure of the Pinot Noir, before bottling at the estate.
This wine reveals notes of red fruits and black cherry, complemented by floral touches evoking violet and rose, as well as spicy nuances of sweet pepper and clove, supported by a subtle woody note reminiscent of cedar and vanilla. The palate presents a silky texture, a vibrant acidity that prolongs the tasting experience, fine, well-integrated tannins, and a persistent finish marked by freshness and aromatic precision.
Where are we traveling?
Willamette Valley
It is located in northwest Oregon, stretching nearly 150 miles from south of Portland to the foothills of the Calapooya Mountains, flanked by the Coast Range to the west and the Cascades to the east. The vineyards are concentrated mainly on the slopes and rolling hills bordering the valley, between 200 and 1,000 feet in elevation, in a verdant landscape of fir forests, hazelnut orchards, and small family farms. Winemaking history began in 1965, when David Lett, a young enology graduate from UC Davis, planted the first Pinot Noir vines in Dundee Hills, convinced that this corner of Oregon offered conditions similar to Burgundy — a gamble that everyone at the time deemed insane. Recognition came in 1979, during a blind tasting organized by Robert Drouhin in Paris, where Lett's 1975 Pinot Noir ranked among the best, prompting Drouhin himself to plant vines in the valley a few years later. The climate is cool and maritime, characterized by mild, rainy winters, dry and bright summers with long days, and cool nights that preserve natural acidity and slow ripening, ideal for Burgundian grape varieties. The soils are remarkably diverse, from the ancient volcanic clays of Dundee Hills to the basalt of Eola-Amity Hills and the marine sediments of McMinnville, with each sub-appellation imparting its distinct signature. Willamette Valley has established itself as Burgundy's great rival for Pinot Noir, producing wines of striking elegance and complexity, with aromas of black cherry, damp earth, sweet spices, and undergrowth, accompanied by increasingly respected taut and mineral Chardonnays, and a handful of refreshing Pinot Gris and Rieslings that bear witness to a valley that has become, in just sixty years, one of the world's leading wine regions.
The little history of the country
UNITED STATES
In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that revitalized the Californian wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa regions. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933, Prohibition decimated the vast majority of the Californian wine industry, so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained. It wasn't until 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition, and California was primarily known for producing fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous wineries were established (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc.). In 1976, a landmark event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris." It pitted the greatest French wines against the new American upstarts. On May 24th, an unexpected result shook the wine world, as, to everyone's surprise, the United States emerged victorious. This competition, however, remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. While California largely dominates the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world, and Washington State offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.