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Winter's Hill Estate 2022 Watershed Pinot Noir
From Wanderlust Come Deep Roots
As a young woman, Emily left the family clover and wheat farm to discover the world. Her destination? Ecuador, as a Peace Corps volunteer. Before long, she met Peter, a fellow Peace Corps volunteer and budding academic. After Ecuador, home became Michigan. But Oregon called, and they left academia to try their hand at growing grapes on that old family farm.
At the time, their son Russell was just 18. Wine was definitely in his blood, but he too felt the call of the wide world out there. First, New Zealand, where he explored the techniques used to make wine on the other side of the globe. Then, back to Oregon, where he met a nice French girl, Delphine, working in a winery. From there, France – of course – where the young couple studied winemaking in Burgundy.
In 2004, Russell and Delphine were married and they came right back to Oregon. Delphine spent a decade as head winemaker for Winter’s Hill, and now Russell leads the way.
Under his leadership, Winter’s Hill has built a reputation for excellent wines and deep stewardship of the land. They are working to restore Oregon Oak forests and ensure habitat-friendly vineyard management practices.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Winter's Hill Estate, Dayton, Oregon
2022 Watershed Pinot Noir
The word “watershed” can mean two very different things. First, as in a “watershed moment”, it’s that instant when everything changes in your life. Second, it’s the geographical area drained by a river and its system of tributaries.
Well, for Winter’s Hill, their Watershed series of wines celebrates both – that moment when John and Lena Winter purchased the land that would someday become the vineyard, as well as the winery’s commitment to honoring and protecting the land and the watershed that makes this beautiful wine possible.
And it is a beautiful wine — a classic representation of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
The fruit is harvested by hand in the early morning while temperatures remain cool. Whole-cluster fermentation of a portion of the fruit provides additional spice and rich tannin to the wine. The grapes were allowed to cold soak for 3 days before yeast inoculation. Gentle pump-overs during fermentation help to extract color and flavor from the skins, while avoiding any bitterness or astringency. After fermentation the wine was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels.
The 2022 vintage was marked by a hard freeze in Mid-April. The vines quickly began to grow again, but developement and maturity were pushed back almost a month. This caused some anxiety over the summer as we managed the vineyards, in the end we were blessed with good weather in the Fall. This allowed the fruit to ripen slowly, developing the complextity we love in Oregon Pinot noir.
A balance of the dried flower, sweet spice, and raspberry aromas lead to a medium-plus bodied palate, with center-focused strawberry flavors with plentiful coffee accents from the 2021 expression and the plum and black-cherry fruit of the 2019 expression. Elegant and delicately restrained flavors reveal over time with this wine so be sure to open it at least an hour before you pour a glass to let her open up.
A Cellar 503 selection in August 2025, Transplanted Dundee Hills | Pinot Noir
