jchristopherwines.com

THE J. CHRISTOPHER WINERY Located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, in Oregon’s

Northern Willamette Valley, the J. Christopher winery

focuses on Pinot Noir made using the traditional methods of

the Old World. Owned by renowned Mosel winegrower,

Ernst “Erni” Loosen (owner of the Dr. Loosen estate), the

wines are hand-crafted in small lots and are sourced from

excellent and well-managed vineyards in the Willamette

Valley.

The philosophy at J. Christopher is to produce terroir-

driven wines in an Old World style that emphasizes focus,

length and balance. As Erni puts it, “We want to make wines

that have a fine balance of fruit, acidity and texture, while

expressing their unique origins.” The key to this is patient

winemaking — it is vital not to rush things and allow the

wines to develop naturally. We want the wines to evolve at

their own pace, with a minimum of intervention.

THE APPASSIONATA VINEYARD Named for the high-end “Appassionata” cuvée that launched

Erni’s foray into Oregon Pinot Noir, the estate vineyard

surrounding the winery has been planted with various clones

of Pinot Noir. Planting of the suitable 22 acres (of a 40-acre

property) was done over a four year period, starting in 2010.

In addition to Pinot Noir, there is a one-acre block of

Sauvignon Blanc and a bit of Chardonnay.

The Appassionata vineyard is being farmed according to

sustainable, environmentally sensitive practices. No pesti-

cides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers are used, only organic

soil amendments (including compost made from the winery’s

own pomace) and some biodynamic treatments for vine

health. While we practice dry farming, we do make rare

hand-watering exceptions when newly planted vines are

struggling to get established.

ERNST LOOSEN INVESTS IN OREGON

As a young man working in the family winery, Erni discovered

the wines of Burgundy and developed a deep, lifelong passion

for Pinot Noir. Later, with many friends and a wine import

business in Oregon, he recognized early on that there was

something very special going on in Oregon’s Willamette Valley,

and he wanted to be a part of it.

When he met Oregon winemaker Jay Somers, who was

making a small-production Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

called J. Christopher, Erni was immediately impressed. Here,

he thought, was a New World wine made in the Old-World

style, with great structure and expression of terroir. The two

soon began collaborating on a high-end Pinot that they

named Appassionata. In 2009, Erni cemented his investment

in Oregon by purchasing 40 acres on Chehalem Mountain in

Newberg, planting the Appassionata Vineyard, and building

an energy-efficient, eco-friendly winery where the Appas -

sionata and J. Christopher wines are produced.

Over the last decade, J. Christopher has earned interna-

tional acclaim and has been named a Wine & Spirits Top 100

Winery multiple times. Our wines, including our new GG

Riesling, continue to showcase the Old-World style that first

attracted Erni to J. Christopher – a style the Erni has always

maintained in his German wines. It’s an unhurried approach

to winemaking that gives each wine the opportunity to fully

express where it comes from, whether it’s the Old World or

the New. We hope you’ll come visit the J. Christopher tast-

ing room and garden patio to enjoy a glass or two.

Construction of the J. Christopher winery was completed in fall 2011, just in time for the harvest. The estate vineyards were planted over several years and began to produce fruit in 2013.

Terroir-focused wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley

J. CHRISTOPHER WINES ON THE MAP

jchristopherwines.com

BEDROCK WINES Cuvée Lunatique Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc Basalte Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains

SPECIAL-SELECTION WINES Volcanique Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills Lumière Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills

SINGLE-VINEYARD WINES Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains Medici Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains Bella Vida Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills Bieze Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills

APPASSIONATA LATE-RELEASE WINES Appassionata Riesling GG (Grosses Gewächs style) Appassionata Pinot Noir (released 10 years after vintage)

Appassionata Vineyard & J. Christopher Winery

The Wines of J. Christopher