Sign In

2021 Bethel Heights Justice Vineyard Pinot Noir

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

May 19, 2024 - $50

Estimate

RATINGS

98+ The Wine Advocate

...intense, singular and pure aromatics: cranberry, rhubarb and blueberry are accented by fine touches of conifer, aniseed, iron and pipe tobacco, and it continues to shift and change...medium-bodied palate is powerful, offering highly concentrated, detailed fruit and a support of abundant, powdery tannins...seamless, energetic acidity and haunting streaks of spice and earth that fan across the tremendously long finish.

94Vinous / IWC

...seduces with a deep core of autumnal spice, lavender, cola and dried black cherries. Cool-toned and silky smooth, this washes across the palate with ripe red fruits guided by juicy acidity. Hints of sour citrus and tart raspberry linger as the 2021 finishes with medium length and near-impossible freshness.

93Wine Spectator

Shows finesse and detail, with youthful and multilayered cherry and raspberry flavors highlighted by spiced tea, mineral and fresh tarragon flavors that finish with refined tannins.

91Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of marionberries and earthy petrichor are a match made in Oregon. Chewy tannins in no way detract from the wine's black-cherry and black-pepper flavors.

PRODUCER

Bethel Heights

Bethel Heights, in Salem, was founded in 1977 by Ted and Terry Casteel, Pat and Barbara Dudley and Marilyn Webb. The group was related by marriage or blood ties and shared the same dream of starting a winery. They bought 75 acres for vineyards, planted vines and in 1984 produced their first commercial vintage. Ted Casteel was vineyard manager for 30 years and with his wife Terry was winemaker. Bethel Heights today owns 100 acres of vineyards and produces 10,000 cases a year. The family-owned business now includes numerous sons, daughters and cousins and the Casteel’s son Ben is winemaker. Bethel Heights was one of the first of the Oregon Pinot Noir producers to win acclaim from reviewers, and the estate still focuses on Pinot Noir, though it also makes Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay.

REGION

United States, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola-Amity Hills

Willamette Valley AVA was established in 1983, and it is the oldest appellation in Oregon. Oregon’s modern wine industry began in the Willamette Valley in the 1960s when artists, vagabond winemakers, and U.C. Davis oenology graduates looking for new territory started their own, small, off-the-grid wineries. The appellation is the state’s largest, and it extends 175 miles from Columbia River on the Washington/Oregon border to just south of Eugene, near central Oregon. The Willamette River runs through the area, helping to give the appellation a mild year-round climate. There are six smaller sub-appellations within this AVA, but altogether the Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries in Oregon, as well as the majority of the state’s most famous producers. Pinot Noir is king here, followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. To most admirers of Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley offers the most distinctive wine choices in the state.

TYPE

Red Wine, Pinot Noir

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.