Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Own-Rooted 2022

96 points Clive Pursehouse (Decanter): "A delightful blend committed to some of the Willamette Valley's oldest, own-rooted sites, including Nysa, Hyland Estate and the Nicolas Jay estate Bishop Creek site. It's a gorgeous Pinot Noir, with an effusive nose of candied red fruits and sweet, smoky rose petals. There is ample forest floor as freshly turned earth melds with sweet bright cherries, a squeeze of blood orange and loads of dried wild herbs which deliver a savoury finish. There's a silken texture that I often find in the own-rooted vine Pinot Noir from the Willamette. It's a lovely wine. Drinking window 2024-2039 (Jul 2024)"

96 points International Wine Report: "The anticipation for this 2022 Own-Rooted Pinot Noir never disappoints, especially given its ungrafted, old-vine heritage. At first, it opens with rugged aromas of damp forest floor and savory brined black olives, slowly revealing layers of fresh pine, wildflowers, and blackberry preserves with hints of shaved dark chocolate. Its texture initially feels understated, but it quickly blossoms into a dense, layered experience that gently grips the palate. Subtle notes of warm baking spices, dried herbs, and a touch of black tea meld seamlessly with a savory edge of damp earth. Still tightly coiled in its youth, this wine holds immense promise, requiring patience to reveal its full potential over time. A clean, congruous finish rounds it out, with just enough structure to promise further evolution over the next decade or more. 413 cases were made. Highly recommended. Drink 2024-2036 (Sep 2024)"

95 points/'Cellar Selection' Wine Enthusiast: "Making a wine exclusively from fruit grown on own-rooted vines is getting harder and harder, but I'm glad this one exists. Its boysenberry and chalkboard dust aromas make for a pretty introduction, followed by flavors of red cherries, orange zest and a touch of cedarwood. Bright acidity intersects with a rough, muscular tannins, suggesting enjoyment from 2025-2038. (Dec 2024)"

95 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "A youthful red/ruby hue in the glass, the 2022 Pinot Noir Own-Rooted is very pretty and floral on the nose, with notes of wild black raspberries, fresh flowers, a hint of porcini powder, and sweet forest earth. Harmonious and medium-bodied, it fills the palate with a juicy feel upfront and is approachable now, with ripe, sweet tannins, fresh accents of bright acidity, and an even, balanced finish. It’s well-detailed and rounded and is going to show its best over the next 10-15 years. Drink 2024-2039 (Aug 2024)"

95 points James Suckling: "Racy and nervy, this generous and complex pinot offers aromas of wild strawberries, raspberry bush and touches of dried rose petals, dusty minerals and pepper. The medium-bodied palate is silky and fresh, with fine tannins gently framing the delicate red fruit and hint of citrus zest in the long, graceful finish. Focused and precise. Drink or hold. (Mar 2025)"

93 points Eric Guido (Vinous): "The 2022 Pinot Noir Own-Rooted opens with a spice box bouquet, blending cedar shavings and cinnamon sticks with cloves and dried black cherries. It’s soothingly round and pliant with ripe red berry fruits, building saline minerality as an air of rosy inner florals amasses toward the close. It tapers off with tension, pleasantly tart and gently tannic, leaving a hint of blood orange that slowly fades. Don’t be surprised if the Own-Rooted shuts down in bottle for a short time. It’s worth following. Drink 2026-2034 (Aug 2024)"

93 points Wine Spectator: "Sleekly layered and tart, with expressive flavors of cherry and cranberry accented by stony mineral and forest floor tones as this builds tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2033. 413 cases made. (Feb 2025)"