Today we share the outstanding wines of Cristom. This is one of the most gorgeous spots that you will find in the Willamette Valley. Over the years Cristom has gained world-wide acclaim for their single vineyard Pinot Noirs. More recently they have been really improving their Chardonnay program. The Cristom ‘Mt. Jefferson Cuvee’ Pinot Noir has been one of the great values out of Oregon. This 2023 edition of this wine is another sensational bottling by them.
WInemaker Daniel Estrin, who also serves as vineyard manager, has an impressive resume, with stints at Red Car as well as Craggy Range in New Zealand before landing his position Littorai. He makes some beautiful wines and is a great job with this vineyard and wine program. Check out the outstanding 2024 Cristom ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’ Chardonnay (OB, 96) which is a dazzling wine from this famed site. Check out more about these outstanding wines at https://www.cristomvineyards.com and here are my reviews of the new releases by Cristom.
2025 Cristom ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- The 2025 Cristom ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay was stored for nine months in 35% new French oak before bottling. This packs a serious punch with light reduction and a smooth mouthfeel, offering medium-bodied melon and citrus fruits. Drink 2026-2032- 92
2024 Cristom ‘Mt. Adams Cuvee’ Chardonnay- A blend of fruit from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, the 2024 ‘Mt. Adams Cuvee’ offers nice reduction on the nose wth gunmetal and lemon blossom alongside shades of green melon. The palate is very mineral-laden with terrific freshness and salty/stony tension. Drink 2026-2036- 93
2024 Cristom ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The outstanding 2024 Cristom ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from this acclaimed site in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Cristom has worked with this location since 2020. Rocky soils combine with shades of mango and salted macadamia nut. The palate has terrific tension and verve, as the finish just won’t stop. This is a knockout wine that is already nicely evolved. Drink 2026-2036- 96
2024 Cristom ‘Royer Vineyard’ Chardonnay- A gorgeous wine from this dazzling, windy site in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, the 2024 ‘Royer Vineyard’ was stored in a small amount of new French oak before bottling. The palate is extremely nervy with amazing diatom character. Salty soils combine with peaches, white grapefruit and shades of cardamom dusted brioche on the palate. Drink 2026-2036- 96
2024 Cristom ‘Louise Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Six acres was originally planted to this location which was later grafted over to Syrah, Viognier and Pinot Noir. Only half an acre remains at this site. The 2024 Cristom ‘Louise Vineyard’ Chardonnay shows tangerine blossom and nectarine alongside shades of honeydew melon on the nose. The palate is powerful and dense with bright acidity, with light nutty undertones. Drink 2026-2036- 95
2024 Cristom ‘Eileen Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Coming from this windswept location at the top of the estate vineyard, the 2024 ‘Eileen Vineyard’ comes off wonderfully rocky with lemon rind and shades of diatom on the nose with rich melon tones. The palate is dense and nervy with amazing verve and texture, loaded with stony minerals. Wait for the minute-long finish! Drink 2026-2036- 97
2025 Cristom ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- At only 30 bucks SRP, the 2025 ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir packs a punch and was 40% whole-cluster fermented. It comes off soft with juicy red and dark fruits alongside orange peel notes. Drink 2026-2032- 91
2023 Cristom ’Louise Vineyard’ Viognier- The 2023 ‘Louise Vineyard’ was sourced from this location set on basalt soils. Stored in all neural oak barrels, this delivers honeysuckle and juicy peach aromatics that combine with salty soils and shades of ginger on the nose. The palate is fresh and lithe with a smooth texture and good sense of length. Nervy and intense, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2024-2033- 93
2023 Cristom ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Gamay- The 2023 ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Gamay comes from both the Paul Gerrie and Björnson Vineyards. This was given 100% whole cluster carbonic maceration and then stored in neutral oak barrels before bottling. Translucent in the glass, this delivers loads of juicy red fruits that collide with baking spices, thyme and a light dusting of white pepper, with cran-orange accents on the palate. Really good in its vibrant youth, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2024 Cristom ‘Mt. Jefferson Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2024 Cristom ‘Mt. Jefferson Cuvee’ Pinot Noir was stored in 16% new French oak for 11 months prior to bottling. This vintage marks the 30th vintage of this wine and is all from estate fruit. This opens with potpourri, guava puree and shades of red licorice with exotic spices on the nose. The palate shows good refinement and verve with serious texture and layers of loganberry, cloves, wild blackberry and compost flavors. Drink 2026-2036- 93
2024 Cristom ‘Jessie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The brilliant 2024 Cristom ‘Jessie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir saw 43% whole cluster fermentation and was stored in 25% new French oak before bottling. Rich red florals fill the nose alongside shades of red licorice and cranberry. The palate is rich and savory with lovely herbal character alongside a terrific melange of red and dark fruits. Give this at least an hour in the decanter if enjoying now. Drink 2026-2041- 95
2024 Cristom ‘Louise Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 ‘Louise Vineyard’ comes from this location that has a steep hillside as this was stored in 27% new French oak before bottling. Sandalwood and shades of thyme combine with orange blossom and beautiful red fruits all mark the nose. The palate is very savory with soy sauce notes that mingle well with a core of red and dark fruits alongside tobacco leaf and orange rind. The flavor range here is outstanding, as this has a long life in front of it. Drink 2026-2041- 96
2024 Cristom ‘Eileen Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2024 Cristom ‘Eileen Vineyard’ Pinot Noir was stored for 18 months in 30% new French oak before bottling. This is a windy site on top of the estate that has both Jory and Nekkia soils. Dark in the glass, this offers a silky mouthfeel upon entry. Loads of mouth-watering acidity follows alongside a core of black cherry compote and black raspberry flavors. Stony and savory, this is a stunning wine that has a long life in front of it. Drink 2026-2044- 96
2024 Cristom ‘Marjorie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Original plantings from this site are from 1982, as the 2024 ‘Marjorie’ saw 43% whole cluster fermentation. Stored for 18 months in 30% new French oak this opens with pretty potpourri tones on the nose alongside thyme and shades of sandalwood with ripe red fruits. The palate has amazing volume and mouth-watering acidity. Gorgeous in its heady youth, make sure to give this an hour in the decanter if enjoying now. Drink 2026-2041- 96
2024 Cristom ‘Paul Gerrie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The stunning 2024 Cristom ‘Paul Gerrie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this estate site planted back in 2014. It is a dense monster of a wine that has decades of life in front of it. Once on the nose this takes on layers of red and dark florals with cloves, dried herbs and shades of red currants. The palate has amazing volume and mouth-watering tension with rocky soil character alongside tart dark fruits. Dense and delicious, enjoy now and over the next two decades. Drink 2026-2046- 97