Mt Jefferson 2021

Name: Cristom - Mt Jefferson - 2021
Brand: Vin du Monde
Price: 40.0 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

Christophe

120,00 €

A precise and vibrant Oregon Pinot Noir, where the coolness of the climate marries with a silky and deep texture.

UNITED STATES

Vin Red

13.5%

5 to 10 years

100% Pinot Noir

750ml
Set of 3 bottles (75cl)

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Let's talk little, let's talk wine

Located in the Willamette Valley, in northwest Oregon, Cristom Vineyards sits on the Eola-Amity Hills, near the city of Salem. This cool, breezy area benefits from sea breezes that blow through the Van Duzer Corridor, moderating temperatures and preserving the natural acidity of the grapes. The parcels destined for the Mt Jefferson cuvée are planted on well-drained volcanic and sedimentary soils, offering ideal conditions for the precise and elegant expression of Pinot Noir in this iconic American terroir.

Made from selected parcels, this Pinot Noir is mostly hand-harvested, with a variable proportion of whole clusters, then gravity-fed into tanks. Fermentation takes place in open-top tanks, with gentle pump-overs and punch-downs to delicately extract color and tannins. After pressing, the wine is transferred to French oak barrels, with a small proportion of new wood, for aging that refines the structure, preserves aromatic freshness, and promotes terroir expression before bottling at the estate.

This wine reveals notes of crisp red fruit, black cherry, and raspberry, enhanced by floral touches of violet and rose, as well as spicy nuances of sweet pepper and clove. Delicate woody accents, evoking cedar and vanilla, blend into a harmonious whole. On the palate, the texture is supple and precise, driven by a vibrant acidity, fine tannins, and an elongated, fresh, and slightly saline finish.

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, bordered by the Coast Range to the west and the Cascades to the east. Vineyards are mainly concentrated on the slopes and rolling hills bordering the valley, between 200 and 1,000 feet in elevation, in a lush landscape of fir forests, hazelnut orchards, and small family farms. The viticultural 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 everyone deemed crazy at the time. 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 come and plant vines in the valley a few years later. The climate is cool and maritime, characterized by mild and 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 basalts of Eola-Amity Hills and the marine sediments of McMinnville, each sub-appellation leaving 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 attest to a valley that has become, in barely 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.

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