Nicolas-Jay Bishop Creek Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2023 750ml

Just a spectacular vintage from this unparalleled, ungrafted old-vine site in the NW corner of the Yamhill-Carlton district. It opens with anise, pencil led and a gamey quality as the dark-colored wine moves slowly around the glass. After further aeration there’s a roasted plum and cassis aroma, then a forest floor freshness emerges with a candied fennel and balsamic element. There’s a lingering earth quality but as the wine warms there’s the classic Bishop Creek crushed granite and blackberry crumble nuances interwoven with new French oak and dusty river stones. It’s distinctive, a wine of nobility with a long finish comprised of minerals and delicious black fruits interlaced a medium-weight, dusty tannin structure.

"A bright ruby/red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Bishop Creek opens to ripe notes of black raspberries, cherry cordial, crushed flowers, toasted cedar, and dark stones, with more forest earth as it opens. Medium-bodied, it has a ripe feel, with an approachable upfront character, fine tannins, and a silky texture. Notes of tea leaf, hints of truffle earth, and dark stones are present throughout the finish. It’s drinking well now, but it should also age gracefully over the next 10 years."
Jeb Dunnuck - 94 Points