Crowley Wines "Sojeau" Pinot Noir '23

Tyson Crowley may be a newer name to some, but he’s been a steady hand in Oregon wine for decades. After five years as assistant winemaker at Cameron Winery in the Dundee area—where he made his first four barrels in 2005—he grew his own label into a focused, small-production project, today crafting roughly 85 barrels a year of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Crowley works exclusively with sustainably farmed, dry-farmed, family-owned vineyards, leaning into cooler, higher-elevation sites and classic, later-ripening material (including Wadenswil and Pommard for Pinot Noir) to preserve natural freshness and precision. He’s also part of the Deep Roots Coalition, reflecting his commitment to wines grown without irrigation and made with minimal intervention: native fermentations, long élevage in mostly neutral oak, and little to no fining or filtration.

This Pinot Noir comes from Sojeau Vineyard, a dry-farmed site perched at 650 feet at the southwestern edge of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, planted to an ideal mix of Pommard (50%) with Dijon 115 and Wadenswil (50%). The fruit is fully destemmed, given a 10-day cold soak, then fermented with native yeasts and raised for 18 months in barrel (15% new oak)—a regimen that builds detail without gloss. The result is a vibrant, cool-site expression of Willamette Pinot: bright cherry and cranberry fruit layered with violets, peppery spice and cocoa, plus an earthy, savory thread—dried herbs, forest tones, and a subtle saline snap—finishing with soft, polished tannins and real drive.