Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir Own Rooted 2023 750ml

The 2023 Pinot Noir Own Rooted comes from the Bishop Creek, Nysa and Hyland vineyards. It has detailed aromas of raspberry, strawberry, red cherry, orange peel, bitters and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate pairs high-toned red fruit with complex spicy tones. It’s framed by lacy tannins and bright acidity and has a long, nuanced finish.

Vibrant and expressive, this red offers tiers of cherry, raspberry, fresh violet and forest floor accents while building texture on the polished finish. Drink now through 2034. 396 cases made.

“Own-Rooted” Pinot Noir showcases several old-vine sites in the Willamette Valley, each at least 30 years old, and planted at a time when rootstock was relatively rare in Oregon viticulture. The Bishop Creek Vineyard supplies a portion of the blend, showing off its characteristic black fruit. Hyland Vineyard, the oldest in the McMinnville AVA, sits atop a hillside looking over the Van Duzer Corridor, and its 45 year old biodynamically farmed vines supply a high-toned red fruit and floral element. 1990-planted Pommard from Nysa Vineyard completes this wine, supplying elegant red fruit and spice. Native yeast fermentation, 16 month maturation in 50% new French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered. 270 cases produced. A note from Nicolas-Jay on the 2023 vintage: After a cool March, a wet April made for a slightly later than average bud break. Warm and dry weather thereafter made for normal bloom and veraison timing. While summer was warm, we had no heat spikes of past years, and the grapes matured without fear of sunburn or dehydration. All vineyards were picked from the 14th of September to the 30th. For the first time, we saw almost perfect chemistry in the fruit - gorgeous ripe flavors, with ideal sugar and acid balance. The resulting wines are dense, aromatically complex wines with linear precision and age worthy tannins.