January 13, 2017

CRISTOM VINEYARDS Pinot Noir "Jessie Vineyard" 2014

(Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon) $60

The most delicate Oregon pinot noirs are like watercolors in a world of oil paintings. Ethereal and fragile, they seemed feather-brushed onto the canvas of flavor. Cristom’s five pinot noirs are all like this, but the one I find most nuanced is the pinot from “Jessie’s Vineyard” with its notes of cranberry, tea, and exotic spices. Surprisingly light on the palate, it feels like something made by angels rather than guys in work boots. When you’re in the mood for a wine that’s more quiet class than Kardashian, this could be it. (13.5% abv)

90 points KM

Available at Cristom Vineyards

Champagne and sparkling wines don’t ever get “corked.”

Answer: False.

Both sparkling wines and Champagne can be “corked”—that is, tainted with TCA, the chemical that creates a funky odor that makes wines smell like a wet dog sitting on wet newspapers in a damp cellar. In fact, according to the French consulting oenologist and TCA expert Dr. Pascal Chatonnet, TCA is actually easier to smell in sparkling wines than in still wines. This is because sparklers are more aromatically delicate and also because the bubbles have the effect of volatilizing the compound, that is, making it smell more pronounced.

According to Dr. Chatonnet, TCA can be smelled in still wines at a threshold of 2 to 5 nanograms per liter, whereas TCA can be smelled in sparklers at a threshold of 1 to 1.5 nanograms per liter.

Amphora

An earthenware vessel used by the ancient Greeks and other Mediterranean people to store and ship wine. An amphora was oval in shape, with two large handles at the top for carrying and a pointed… Continue reading

CRISTOM VINEYARDS Pinot Noir "Jessie Vineyard" 2014

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