Our Wines

GREAT WINES ARE GROWN BEFORE THEY ARE MADE

We cultivate long-standing relationships with growers who believe, as we do, that high quality is vastly more important than high yields. Our top two fruit sources are our own Appassionata Vineyard and the nearby Medici Vineyard, both of which we farm according to Salmon Safe guidelines for sustainable viticulture. For the balance of our fruit, we work directly with some of the best growers and vineyards in Oregon’s Northern Willamette Valley.

In the cellar, as in the vineyards, our approach is a patient, Old-World style that allows wines the time they need to develop naturally. We let our wines evolve at their own pace, with a minimum of intervention, to give them a chance to develop balance, texture and length rather than merely massive fruit. Wines made in this unhurried style develop the structure for great ageability. But most importantly, they really let you taste the differences in their terroir – and that’s what makes different wines so fun and interesting to drink.

Grapes

Pinot Noir

At the top of the J. Christopher range are our single-vineyard Pinots, bottled to reflect the singular qualities of some of the finest vineyards in the Willamette Valley.

  • Our Special Selection wines are small-production, single-AVA blends that display the unique characteristics of each appellation.
  • Rounding out the collection is our bedrock cuvée, Basalte, a blend of barrels from vineyards with thin volcanic clay topsoil and rocky basalt subsoil.

Pinot Noir Wines We Normally Produce Every Vintage

  • J. Christopher Estate Vineyard Rock Blocks Pinot Noir (Chehalem Mountains)
  • J. Christopher Medici Vineyard Pinot Noir (Chehalem Mountains)
  • J. Christopher Kolb Vineyard Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills)
  • J. Christopher Bieze Vineyard Pinot Noir (Eola-Amity Hills)
  • J. Christopher Lumière Special Selection Pinot Noir (Eola-Amity Hills)
  • J. Christopher Volcanique Special-Selection Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills)
  • J. Christopher Basalte Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley)

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the natural companion to Pinot Noir. Like Pinot, it beautifully reveals the soil and climate of the place in which it is grown. Our pure, unadorned Cuvée Lunatique Chardonnay is a vibrant cool-climate expression of the variety. Our new Sol et Soleil Chardonnay is a richly expressive wine, made in the traditional barrel-fermented style.

Chardonnay Wines We Normally Produce Every Vintage

  • J. Christopher Cuvée Lunatique Chardonnay (Willamette Valley)
  • J. Christopher Sol et Soleil Chardonnay (Willamette Valley)

Rosé

We make dry rosés for easy-drinking and pure enjoyment. Our pink wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah sourced from vineyards on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. We also offer an estate Pinot Noir Rosé that’s a little less dry, with very nice fruit.

Rosé Wines We Normally Produce Every Vintage

  • J. Christopher Cristo Irresisto Oregon Pink Wine

Riesling

Because of our connection to Dr. Loosen, we of course love Riesling, which we source from a few different vineyards, including the 40-year-old Medici Vineyard. Much of the fruit from that vineyard goes into the dry Appassionata Riesling GG, but we also combine a bit of it with other vineyards to produce our delightfully sunny and off-dry Sonnenschein Riesling.

Riesling Wines We Normally Produce Every Vintage

  • J. Christopher Sonnenschein Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a rarity in the Willamette Valley, but we believe that it produces quite interesting wines here, so we planted some in our estate vineyard. A special selection of the fruit goes into the Appassionata Über Sauvignon, but the majority of the fruit is used for our bright and refreshing J. Christopher Sauvignon Blanc.

Sauvignon Blanc Wines We Normally Produce Every Vintage

  • J. Christopher Chehalem Mountains Sauvignon Blanc