James Suckling 95
"This cuvée has a very energetic and intense feel with a wealth of fresh and attractive red cherries and raspberries, plenty of florals and subtle herbal, forest-wood and light-chocolate notes. There’s a very keenly articulated feel to the palate with a plush, very fleshy and assertively long, detailed finish. Deep fruit presence here. Drink across the next decade."

Vinous Media 93
"Vivid red. Expansive aromas of ripe red berries, candied flowers and baking spices, with a smoky mineral topnote that gains strength as the wine opens up. Coats the palate with appealing sweet raspberry and cherry liqueur flavors that tighten up and become spicier on the back half. Shows excellent clarity and floral lift on an impressively long finish that's shaped by fine-grained, even tannins. -- Josh Raynolds"

The Wine
Louise Vineyard was named for founder Paul Gerrie’s maternal grandmother and was the first vineyard Cristom began planting in 1993. Louise Vineyard is distinctly different from our other estate Pinot Noir vineyards on the hillside because it can be divided into “upper” Louise and “lower” Louise across the 290 feet to 440 feet (88 m to 134 m) elevation change. Upper Louise is planted at 2,311 vines/acre (5,710 vines/ha) in very deep Columbia River Basalt soils known as Jory that grades downslope to moderately deep Nekia. Both of these soils are known to be mineral rich and very well draining allowing the roots to drive deep in the ground. The upper corner of the 9.31 acres (3.77 hectares) vineyard lies in a sun shadow and is often the last fruit harvested off of the estate.

“Lower” Louise has a strong influence of Missoula Flood deposits in addition to the moderately well drained soils formed from sedimentary rocks. The Pinot Noir vines planted closest to the winery are planted at 1,815 vines/acre (4,485 vines/ha) entirely on Missoula Flood silts and is often the first fruit harvested at Cristom. Louise Vineyard is the only Pinot Noir vineyard on the Cristom estate that can claim this dramatic soil diversity and we believe it has contributed to the balance in the wines that have come from this densely planted vineyard since its initial 1996 release.

• Hand harvested and hand sorted, sustainably farmed estate fruit
• 32% whole clusters
• No cold soak before primary fermentation
• Minimum effective additions of sulfur and tartaric acid
• 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, and never racked, unless necessary
• Undergoes a full malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Fined with egg whites, unfiltered

Aged 18 months in French cooperage, 42% new oak

The Estate
It was the promise of great wines that first drew Paul and Eileen Gerrie, owners of Cristom Vineyards, to Oregon. They conceived of a place where the succulent Pinot Noir grape could achieve its fullest expression – complex, hand crafted wines that are bold yet balanced: both powerful and elegant. Their wines evolve as they age, revealing ever greater richness and complexity with time. The abundance of soils and slopes in the hills of Oregon defined the Gerrie’s vision of world class Pinot Noir. The warm winds of summer held the promise of rich Chardonnay, the cool sunny autumn yielded tart Pinot Gris. Since the inaugural vintage in 1992, the Gerries, along with winemaker Steve Doerner, have been producing wines that are considered the benchmark in Oregon and have made Cristom, named after their children, Christine and Tom, a veritable household name.

Farming Practice:Practicing Organic