Perhaps of all the wine samples we sent to Nathan and Courtney Marton of Winery Reflections, 2019 Jupiter, our debut estate Pinot Noir, was the one we were most nervous to share with them. (Admittedly, it was the wine we were equal parts excited and terrified about uncorking for anyone, as it was the first full Pinot ever produced entirely from fruit we planted in 2014.) When the Martons visited us back in 2019, they took a tour of our vineyard and tasted the fruit that made this wine in person, straight from the vine. So we were particularly eager/anxious to hear what they thought of the finished product.
Winery Reflections’ Nathan and Courtney Marton.
Here’s what they had to say:
Lifted Bing cherry, ground coriander, cranberry preserves. Tart red plum, forest floor, pomegranate reduction. Highly aromatic and ethereal wafts of wild strawberry, juicy raspberry, and rhubarb prance with astoundingly delicate expressiveness while hints of cinnamon, allspice, and coriander expose a range of perfectly-integrated barrel spices.
Notes of crushed pine needle, fresh forest air, and herbal tea impart intriguing natural charms that are lifted and livened by pretty floral tones of violet, lavender, and young rose. Impressions of iron, turned earth, and oyster mushroom reveal delicious umami-laden and earthy underpinnings that beautifully stand alongside the youthful and beguilingly expansive fruit.
Hauntingly fragrant and finesse-driven on the nose with a palate that is tense yet still incredibly nuanced; exhibiting delicate power and exciting energy within a presentation that is deeply characterful yet impressively soft and weightless. Medium bodied with elevated yet approachable tannin balanced by bright acidity. This 2019 “Jupiter” Estate Pinot Noir by Bells Up Winery is a complex and captivating red from the Chehalem Mountains.
Located just south of Portland near the northern end of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Chehalem Mountains has developed into one of Oregon’s premier Pinot Noir growing regions thanks to the beautifully expressive yet balanced wines its terroir helps shape. This bottling, crafted by Bells Up Winery using Pinot Noir sourced from their estate vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains, is an excellent example of the depth and delicate complexity this region has become famous for.
Although it is the very first red wine ever produced from this vineyard this offering is extremely impressive, with a wide-reaching yet weightless red fruit-driven profile bursting with clean forest tones, lifted spices, charming florals, and nice earthiness. While this wine is enjoyable today it will likely benefit from at least 3-5 years in the cellar, which will allow it to further unfurl and reach its highest potential. Outstanding.
