J. Christopher Wines is a small winery, located in Oregon’s Northern Willamette Valley, that specializes in Pinot Noir made in the traditional style of Burgundy. It is owned by Jay Somers, who has been making wine in Oregon for over 15 years. Jay’s wines are hand-crafted in small lots and are sourced from some of the best vineyards in Oregon.
The philosophy at J. Christopher is to produce wines in an Old World style that puts an emphasis on focus, length and balance. As Jay puts it, “We do not make sweet red fruit bombs. We make wines that have a fine balance of fruit, acidity and texture; wines that give you more than just a big mid-palate blast — wines that are complete.”
A Collaboration with Dr. Loosen
When Ernst Loosen met Jay Somers some years ago, they quickly realized that they share a similar taste and passion for Pinot Noir. Ernst is a lifelong Pinot Noir fanatic, and has been producing it at his J.L. Wolf estate since 1996, the same year that Jay launched his winery in Oregon. The two cemented their friendship in 2004 when Jay traveled to Germany to help the short-handed harvest crew at Dr. Loosen. It wasn’t long before they began talking about collaborating to produce Pinot Noirs that combine Old World and New World ideas. The results are Two Worlds and Appassionata Pinot Noir.
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J. CHRISTOPHER WINES
J. Christopher Sauvignon Blanc, Willamette Valley
Made in the clean, fresh style of France’s Loire Valley, this wine is fermented in stainless steel and does not go through malolactic fermentation. The result is a classic, highly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc with perfect ripeness and excellent acidity.
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J. Christopher Sauvignon Blanc, Croft Vineyard
This distinctive wine is sourced from an excellent, organically farmed site in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. With a classic Sauvignon Blanc nose of grapefruit and dusty minerals, it is ripe and full, with good power and firm acid. Fans of Sauvignon Blanc will find a lot to love here.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Bright, focused aromas of black cherries, blackberries, toast and tobacco lead to a palate of dark fruit and smoky black cherries. Supported by fine structure, this rich wine delivers a silky, seductive texture, and a sweet, lingering finish.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, "Nuages" (Chehalem Mountains)
Nuages is a very engaging wine. Beginning with a mouthwatering nose of dark, sweet fruit and a hint of smoke and vanilla, it delivers a full impact on the palate, with fine, focused fruit accented by intriguing spice and herbal notes, a juicy grip, firm structure, and good length.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills Cuvée
A blend of fruit from several top J. Christopher vineyard sites (Charlie’s, Abbey Ridge, Le Pavillon and La Colina vineyards), this is classic Dundee Hills Pinot Noir from the AVA’s red jory clay soil.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, Charlie's Vineyard
One of the great sites of the Dundee Hills, the three-acre Charlie's Vineyard has produced great wine for J. Christopher since 1996. The 2009 offers aromas of dark fruits, leather and earth, with an expansive palate of even more dark fruit, balanced by a harmonious structure of tannin and acidity. Truly excellent wine.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, Sandra Adele
This beautiful Pinot Noir comes from two outstanding vineyards: Abbey Ridge and Charlie’s Vineyard. It offers a nose of cherry perfume with a touch of violets. The palate is silky and slippery, with flavors of bright red cherries, rose petals and herbs.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, Abbey Ridge
If Oregon had a vineyard classification, Abbey Ridge would unquestionably top the list of "grand cru" sites. It lies high up in the Dundee Hills and always produces the most distinctive wines in Oregon. Jay has been working with a parcel of this vineyard for years, but this is the first time he’s bottled any as a singlevineyard wine. This is pure Abbey Ridge: delicate, floral and a firm minerality.
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J. Christopher Pinot Noir, Le Pavillon Vineyard
Power and grace personified, this highly concentrated wine comes from a spectacular old-vine site in the heart of the Dundee Hills. It has deep aromas of dark raspberries and violets, and big, rich flavors of spicy black cherries and freshly turned earth. Great acidity and tannin structure ensure this wine's ability to age.
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Sales materials for some wines are still in production. If you need something that you can’t find here, please e-mail us and we will get it to you as quickly as possible.