2023 Nicolas-Jay Bishop Creek Yamhill Carlton Pinot Noir, Oregon

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.

94 points jebdunnuck.com

Nicolas Jay Bishop Creek Pinot Noir is one of the most articulate expressions of the Yamhill Carlton AVA in Oregon, a place defined by its ancient marine sedimentary soils and cool Pacific influenced climate. Bishop Creek sits on these uplifted seabed soils rich in sandstone and siltstone, which naturally lend Pinot Noir a savoury, earthy backbone and fine, chalky structure. Nicolas Jay is a collaboration between Jean Nicolas Méo of Domaine Méo Camuzet in Burgundy and music industry legend Jay Boberg, a partnership built on a shared obsession with terroir, restraint and long lived Pinot Noir. The philosophy here is unmistakably Burgundian, low yields, gentle extraction, thoughtful oak and an unwavering focus on vineyard character rather than power or ripeness.

In the glass the wine shows a translucent ruby colour with lifted aromatics of wild strawberry, red cherry, cranberry and rose petal, layered with forest floor, dried herbs and subtle spice. The palate is silky and finely detailed, delivering pure red fruit, savoury earth and a mineral edge that reflects the Bishop Creek soils, all framed by fine, powdery tannins and bright natural acidity. It feels elegant yet quietly intense, with a long, resonant finish that rewards slow contemplation. This is a superb partner for roast duck, lamb, mushroom dishes and grilled salmon, and it has the structure to age beautifully for ten to fifteen years, gaining truffle, dried flowers and spice as it evolves.