J.C. Somers Abbey Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

The distinctiveness and downright seductiveness of Abbey Ridge is on full display, as is Jay Somers's expertise with his favorite vineyard. Ultra-sexy aromas, ultra-silky texture—you can love this wine for those aspects alone. Vintage '23 dials up the intensity without sacrificing a milliliter of elegance. Red and blue-toned fruit, lavender and rosemary blossom, orange zest, this undulates from bright to dark and back again like a delicious wave. It's impossible not to love. There is a vineyard name that every Pinot Noir fan should know: Abbey Ridge. To Cameron devotees, Abbey Ridge is sacred ground. Yet apart from Cameron, you can count on two fingers the other wineries who are fortunate enough to access the remarkable old vines of Abbey Ridge. Jay Somers worked in the Cameron cellar many moons ago, where he forged a friendship with Abbey Ridge owners/farmers Bill and Julia Wayne. He's had a small block of Abbey Ridge since 2001—the cornerstone of his Pinot noir program and what he believes to be the best Pinot Noir vineyard in the Willamette Valley. While it's hard for us to pick the single best, we certainly won't argue against his choice. When you taste the Pinots made from Abbey Ridge, you'll likely feel the same. Jay Somers: I have worked with Abbey Ridge since 1993 (while at Adelsheim) and in 1994 with Cameron Winery. In 2001, I was lucky to be offered a block of Pinot Noir at Abbey Ridge and have been working with the fruit ever since. Abbey Ridge is the cornerstone to our Pinot Noir program and I believe it to be the best Pinot Noir site in the Willamette Valley. Owned by my friends Bill and Julia Wayne, this vineyard is the platonic form of what the Dundee Hills AVA is all about–elegance. We have 2.5 acres of the Coury Clone Pinot Noir.