96 Points Jeb Dunnuck
From a vineyard the Gerrie family planted in 1993 that sits around the winery, the 2022 Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard reveals a beautiful woodsy profile, with notes of mossy earth and higher-toned red fruit shining through, with cranberries, darker red fruits, and Asian spices. It has a chiseled structure, with fine compact tannins, a refreshing lift, and notes of tea leaf on its long finish. It’s going to age with grace over the coming 20 years.
95 Points Decanter
Most diverse soils on the property the Louise is the only site without 100% volcanic soils. The warmest site on the property, protected from the Van Duzer winds from a horseshoe of forest is about radiance of warmth for winemaker Estrin. This site can get big fast, so he picks them a bit earlier than the others and has to pay attention to the extraction, exotic spice aromatics, Chinese five spice and Oolong tea. This is a bit more broad-shouldered and the tannins intimate that this will go the distance. The palate leans into savoury spice, with black tea, wild anise blackberries and mint. Brooding and elegant.
Winemaker Note:
Louise Vineyard was established in 1993, and named after Cristom’s second-generation Owner and Winegrower Tom Gerrie’s great-grandmother. Louise is planted to the lowest slopes of the estate, and is one of the most geologically complex sites on the farm. A microcosm of the diversity of soils in the Eola-Amity Hills, Louise is predominantly planted over a range of volcanic soils and is the
only vineyard site on the estate that is also influenced by Missoula Flood Silts further contributing to the intensity and complexity of fruit. Protected by a small forest to the west and south, Louise is more sheltered from the cold Pacific Ocean winds than the other estate vineyards, helping to soften the focused acidity in the wines. Collectively the vines stitched into the hillside are are the oldest at Cristom–more than 26-years-old–helping to bring balance, grace and a greater sense of place to the single vineyard wine. True to our commitment to craft wines from distinguished sites in Eola Hills, Louise is now 12.3 acres of Pinot Noir and just over 1/2 acre of Chardonnay.
