2020 Celestial Hill Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 750 ml

Deals like this one aren’t supposed to happen.

A boutique, 250-case production of dry-farmed, estate-grown Willamette Valley Pinot Noir like this RARELY shows up on a national platform.

Farmed to incredibly low yields of just a ton per acre off 12 acres of vineyards, the 2020 Celestial Hill Estate Pinot micro-cuvée can be readily tracked down—but only if you live in Carlton, Oregon and can drop by the tasting room, or venture to the few top restaurants where it’s poured.

So after this wine dazzled us with its Cristom-like vibrancy and lift on a recent Willamette Valley road trip, we knew we were taking a shot in the dark reaching out to the owners. It just happened to be our luck that founder Chris Thomas not only knew Wine Access—he’d been a loyal customer for years!

That long history of trust convinced Chris to give us a small piece of this 2020 allocation. Touched by just a few pairs of hands—including winemaker Jay Somers, who learned the craft from Oregon legend John Paul of Cameron Winery—this is a wine made to the same exacting standards as some of the greatest Pinots in the state.

Both Thomas and Somers are Burgundy obsessives, which inspired them to produce a delicate Pinot without a trace of over-extraction. Made with organically farmed, 100% destemmed grapes treated to an extremely light press, it’s almost all free-run juice. A light soak keeps the attention on the fruit without overdoing the tannins, and it’s followed by 18 months aging in oak barrels, one-third of them new.

We’re thrilled to introduce you to this truly authentic Willamette Valley Pinot that takes no shortcuts taken on quality.