J.C. Somers, "Bella Vida" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2019

FEATURED WINE - THE STARS OF PINOT 2022

Overview of the Wine
J.C. Somers is the collaboration between Jay Christopher Somers and his longtime partner and wife Ronda Newell-Somers. The label displays the New Moon which signifies a new phase in their winemaking adventures. After founding and developing the J. Christopher brand starting in 1996, they are returning to their roots producing small quantities of focused, elegant, and terroir-driven wines made from the best sites in the Willamette Valley.

Jay and Ronda a member of The Deep Roots Coalition (DRC), which is an advocacy group for the production of wine sourced exclusively from non-irrigated vineyards. The wineries in this group share a vision regarding viticulture, winemaking and long-term viability of Oregon wine. They feel that vineyards must be dry farmed, and that it is the non-irrigated vines that work hardest to produce fruit that maximizes the true terroir. With fruit sources and skill that rival the best of Oregon, Jay Somers is a winemaker to watch.

Grape / Blend
Pinot Noir

Origin
Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon 

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Bella Vida Vineyard is an exceptional vineyard site in the Dundee Hills. Owned and meticulously farmed by Steve Whiteside, it is one of my favorite sites to work with. I started making wines from this vineyard in 2001 when the vines were still very young, and, over the years, it has steadily matured to become a powerful expression of the Dundee Hill AVA. We currently have 0.5 acres each of the Pommard, Wadenswil and Dijon 777 clones. The vineyard is dry farmed.

94 Points - Wine & Spirits
This 36-acre vineyard set between Knudsen and Maresh vineyards was planted in the late nineties. This edition of Bella Vida expresses energy and movement from its first pour—light, straight-lined, bright and lifted. Red-fruited, its raspberry and pomegranate scents have a mushroomy savor, with flavors to match that feel lean and succinctly expressed.

Product size: 750ml