2016 Cristom Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard Eola-Amity Hills Willamette Valley 750 ml

The Eileen Vineyard, named after founder Paul Gerrie’s wife, sits at the top of the Cristom estate, and boasts arresting views of the property, the Cascade Range to the east, and the Coast Range to the west. The south- and southeast-facing slopes are subject to the cooling Pacific winds as well as late-day sun, which encourages slow and perfect ripening. Since it’s the highest-elevated vineyard at Cristom, Eileen is the first to feel the Pacific breezes that flow through the famed Van Duzer corridor, and the cool maritime nights—not to mention a daily temperature variation of 35 degrees or more—result in a wine that shows fantastic acidity, as well as a bouquet of sweet spices that makes it stand out among Cristom’s other estate Pinots.

James Suckling crowned the 2016 Eileen Pinot with 95 points. So did Vinous, which said the wine “combines power and finesse with a deft hand, offering palate-staining black raspberry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily.” It’s expressive and concise, with hints of licorice and mineral undertones. Enjoy a bottle in the near future, but be sure to put some away, as the Eileen Pinot will cellar well for another 10 to 12 years.