Zena Crown Vineyard 'Conifer' Pinot Noir 2021 - 750ml

93pts Wine Spectator

Spirited and handsomely built, with expressive flavors of cherry and blueberry accented by anise and juniper berry as this builds tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2032.

Winemaker Notes

Like rocks tumbling on a steep hiking trail, the 2021 Conifer has a brooding particular to the Pacific Northwest. Mandarin orange peel, juniper and huckleberry mélange, and the all encompassing aroma of a Ponderosa high desert pine forest give way to matsutake mushroom, sage, and Cherokee Purple tomato on the palate Notes of unrelenting sunshine leads to a touch of bitter nostalgia and adventure lust.

About the Wine

Sourced from select areas on the vineyard that yield the reddest fruit and tertiary aromas, Conifer is generally picked first and offers floral notes with great acidity. The exotic aromas of the Conifer are like being transported to a Mediterranean street market with all-encompassing qualities like the Provence sun.

Winery Notes

Jackson Family Wines purchased the Zena Crown Vineyard just west of Salem in 2013, marking their first foray into Oregon. With cautious optimism, the desire to remain a harmonious neighbor, and the patience to watch this vineyard’s story slowly unfold, they engaged veteran Willamette Valley winemaker Tony Rynders and passionate Pacific Northwest native Shane Moore to bring Zena Crown Vineyard to life.

Some vineyards are simply undeniably extraordinary places, destined to make world-class wines. Zena Crown Vineyard is one of those sites. Located in the Willamette Valley’s Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA, a region with remote and rugged beauty. 

The vineyard sits in a direct path of the Van Duzer Corridor winds that slow phenological ripening, allowing for a cooler climate and longer hangtimes. Diverse facings, elevation, clones, and soil types provide opportunity and nuance. Beyond these technical components, are intangible elements of the vineyard that produce world-class wines. The vineyard is a living, breathing entity with evolving preferences, whims, and stubborn streaks.

Winemaker Shane Moore seeks to capture the everchanging moods of the Zena Crown Vineyard through wines that summon sights, sounds, and emotions. They evoke the sensations of Oregon summer, fall, winter, and spring, emulating the Willamette Valley’s annual rhythm – its ebbs, and flows. Just as the vineyard’s terroir is more than dirt and wind, the wines are more than tannin structure and fruit notes. They are memories, songs, and moments in time.

Since its third leaf, Zena Crown Vineyard has been a sought-after single-vineyard designate for renowned producers like Beaux Frères, Soter Vineyards, and Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Beginning with the 2013 harvest, Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noirs emerged as a true Oregon domain. Today, we proudly offer our eponymous wines from this site, while continuing to celebrate our neighbors’ interpretations of this acclaimed vineyard.

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