2023 Project M Wines 'Personify' Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Pinotphiles listen up! Willamette Valley. 92 Points. 26 bucks?! Yes please! All day.

“Jerry Murray has made a name for himself by producing vibrant, sharply delineated, balanced Pinot Noirs,” says Josh Raynold at Vinous.

(Highly recommend this video to learn more!)

This is a small, boutique project out of Willamette Valley that focuses on elegance and purity of terroir. Winemaker Jerry D. Murray had made wine for two decades, for big names like Van Duzer Vineyards and Domaine Anderson before he took the leap to let the wines, he knew he had inside of him out! He launched Project M Wines in 2016 with a few key contracted vineyards like Momtazi Vineyard and Filament Vineyard.

This Pinot Noir is a blend of four unique sites and includes Bednarik Vineyard which boasts 40-year-old own-rooted Pinot Noir vines. This is incredibly rare as own-rooted vines have less resistance to disease and pests but, when executed correctly, the fruit bursts with complexity and intensity.

Sourcing fruit from some of the highest quality of Eola Amity and Chehalem Mountain AVAs has proven to be a great way to express the elegance and transparency of Willamette Valley. Well played Mr. Murray!

In the glass, bright aromas dark cherry, candy cap mushrooms and post rain forest. Textures of silky-smooth tannins and zippy acid dance around flavors of black tea, cherry cola, delicate white flowers and baking spices. Well-structured with a looooooong finish means this one will age beautifully.

That is if you can get your hands on some… small winery, small lots. This one will go fast!

92 Points—James Suckling “Bright and mellow, showing aromas of fresh-picked strawberries, cherries, dried flowers and citrus peel. Medium-bodied, juicy and fleshy, with fine tannins and a delicate, red-fruited aftertaste. Drink or hold.”