James Frey is a man of many talents. A former photographer from Santa Cruz, James always had a passion for wine. A fellow Arsenal supporter, James crafts some incredible wines for Trisaetum that speak to the region and terroir. His winemaking style focuses towards a brightness and freshness in the wines, regardless of vintage. I have been highly impressed with these wines over the past several years. His talents spread far as James also makes some outstanding sparkling wines under his Pashey label and I reviewed his wines sourced from the Walla Walla Valley, his 1841 label.
The new Trisaetum lineup was brilliant across the board. Look for their 2020 Trisaetum ‘Estates Reserve’ Chardonnay (OB, 92) which brilliantly navigated this vintage and shows really good richness andrange. Even better is the gorgeous 2019 Trisaetum ‘Family Reserve’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is one of the great wines that I have tasted from this vintage thus far. Just an infant, this has a really long way to go in the cellar. Learn more about this fantastic Willamette Valley winery at http://www.trisaetum.com Here are the fantastic new wines by Trisaetum.
2020 Trisaetum ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay-Fresh and chalk-filed with finesse, the 2020 ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay reveals ripe pear with apricot and lemon zest tones alongside plenty of tension. While not showing a lengthy finish this is a downright tasty bottling that is meant for early consumption. Drink 2021-2025- 90
2020 Trisaetum ‘Estates Reserve’ Chardonnay- A barrel select wine sourced from two Trisaetum Estate Vineyards, this reveals medium-bodied Japanese pear, hazelnut and orange blossom tones alongside plenty of salty soil tones. Vibrant and delicious to consume now with its silky texture, enjoy this excellent effort over the next seven years. Drink 2021-2028- 92
2019 Trisaetum ‘Ribbon Ridge Estate’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from vines first planted back in 2007, this outstanding Pinot Noir shows off its deep core with very pretty guava and red currant tones alongside red florals that all meld in the glass. The palate is silky and elegant with medium-bodied crunchy red fruits that collide with minerals and peat moss undertones. Complex and delicious to savor right now, this outstanding effort will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2033- 93
2019 Trisaetum ‘Coast Range Estate’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Coast Range Estate’ is located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and is set at 700 feet, with a combination of volcanic and marine sedimentary soils. The palate is very salty and savory with dried herbs alongside sour kirsch, linzer torte and blood orange zest with tobacco undercurrents. Very elegant and restrained, this beautiful wine is already nicely evolved and will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2031- 92
2019 Trisaetum ‘Wichmann Dundee’ Pinot Noir- Trisaetum’s founder James Frey planted this estate vineyard back in 1999, as this sits on 700 feet elevation and is set on ancient Jory soils. The nose is tangibly quite volcanic with ash tones alongside wild blackberry and teaberry with orange rind undertones. The palate is silky and elegant, although the mid-palate ripeness hasn’t fully come together yet. With a bit more bottle age things will fully amalgamate. Try to give this at least a two hour decant if enjoying now. Drink 2021-2033- 93
2019 Trisaetum ‘Estates Reserve’ Pinot Noir-Sourced from the Yamhill-Carlton, Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills AVAs, the 2019 ‘Estates Reserve’ is a barrel select wine that is utterly captivating to consume right now. Beautifully textured with superb length, this shows off a dazzling array of bright red fruits with forest floor and copious minerals on the palate. Wait for the near minute-long finish! Enjoy this superb effort over the next fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 94
2019 Trisaetum ‘Family Reserve’ Pinot Noir- A barrel-select wine, the 2019 ‘Family Reserve’ is a stunning new bottling by James Frey. Once on the mouth this becomes completely weightless as you can really get a feel for the marine sedimentary salty soils as well as the Jory soil notes. Shades of anise and wild blackberry combine with red rose water, red currant and hints of cran-orange on the palate. Complex and delicious to consume now, this has yet to fully hit its stride. Give this at least a two hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2022-2040- 95