I know this 2015 Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir was a baby, but I still opted to uncork it on New Year’s Eve to pair with some of the meats served at my fondue party. While it could have used some additional time in the bottle, the wine was lovely, much like the 2014 vintage was.

Cristom Vineyards (www.cristomvineyards.com) began 25 years ago as a collaboration between an engineer and a biochemist who each had a deep-rooted respect for the land, the natural winemaking process, and Pinot Noir.

Today, second-generation winegrower and owner Tom Gerrie leads winemaker Steve Doerner and the tenured viticulture team in tending the Estate vineyards, and producing elegant, dynamic wines, recognizable by Cristom’s hallmark style of whole-cluster fermentation by native yeasts.

The Mt. Jefferson Cuvée is Cristom’s flagship Pinot Noir, a blend of the Cristom estate Pinot Noir along with exceptional fruit sourced from neighboring vineyards in the Willamette Valley.

The 2015 vintage is similar to the 2014 vintage and will be remembered as a warm year that produced extremely high-quality fruit of great intensity.2015 will likely be considered among the better vintages in Willamette Valley winegrowing history.

Looks: Bright red in the glass

Smell: Big, ripe raspberry aromas with chocolate notes

Taste: Rich flavors of raspberries/cherries with some licorice notes

Texture and Finish: Rich silky texture. Medium-bodied, some tannins on the finish with great acidity

Pairings: Poultry, salmon, mushroom-based dishes

Style: Red Wine

Grape Type(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Willamette Valley, OR, USA

Price: $29.99