10 Best Oregon Pinot Noir Wines (2024): Taste, Prices, Uniqueness

Oregon Pinot Noir wines are some of the finest bottles in the world, some of which compete even with Burgundy reds. Thanks to Oregon’s cool climate that’s perfect for growing the finicky Pinot Noir grapes.

The first bottles of the delicate Oregon Pinot Noir were made just about 50 years ago near the Chehalem Mountains in the Willamette Valley.

Let’s get familiar with Oregon Pinot Noir wine and discover the 10 best bottles, why Oregon Pinot Noir is highly sought after, and its taste and characteristics.  

We’ll also look at the wines’ investment potential, and Oregon’s climate and terroir.

Why Is Oregon Pinot Noir Highly Sought After?

Oregon Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley and nearby regions like the Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley have attracted widespread acclaim.

In these regions, the Pinot Noir grape variety expresses itself refinedly. Mostly because this young region, particularly the Willamette Valley, shares the same latitude as Burgundy which gives the Oregon Pinot Noir an advantage over other American Pinots. 

Oregon’s wine industry is also loved for its sustainable practices, from vineyard management to how the winemaker crafts the wines. According to the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, almost half of the Willamette Valley vineyard sites are certified sustainable.

This, added to the fact that Pinot Noir is highly susceptible to vine diseases, makes it a very tough and costly grape to grow. And only a few regions are able to bring out Pinot’s fine expression - Oregon being one of them.

10 Best Oregon Pinot Noir Wines To Buy In 2024 (Including Tasting Notes)

Let’s take a look at the top Oregon Pinot Noir wine bottles:

1. 1994 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir ‘South Block’
2. 2015 Domaine Serene ‘Monogram’ Pinot Noir
3. 1992 Elk Cove Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir
4. 2011 Antica Terra Antikythera Pinot Noir
5. 2016 Rose & Arrow Estate ‘Black Walnut’ Worden Hill Pinot Noir
6. 2017 Lingua Franca Mimi's Mind Pinot Noir
7. 2014 Domaine Serene Mark Bradford Vineyard Pinot Noir
8. 2016 Nicolas Jay Bishop Creek Pinot Noir
9. 2014 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir
10. 2016 Bergstrom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

1. 1994 The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir ‘South Block’ ($414)

This world class Pinot Noir wine from the Eyrie vineyard has cranberry, raspberry, baking spice, and dark fruit (primarily cherry) notes - a must-try for every wine enthusiast.

2. 2015 Domaine Serene ‘Monogram’ Pinot Noir ($387)

This Willamette Valley red wine has fine tannin, a tasting note of cherry cola, and hints of black fruit, exotic spice, blackberries, red fruit, and plum.

3. 1992 Elk Cove Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir ($288)

This Oregon wine has a silky-textured palate, a dark fruit aroma, and cherry, spice, blackberry, plum, and black tea notes. 

4. 2011 Antica Terra Antikythera Pinot Noir ($213)

This red wine bottle from the Antica Terra winery has supple tannin, crisp minerality, a raspberry flavor, and subtle cherry cola, baking spice, and black fruit notes.

5. 2016 Rose & Arrow Estate ‘Black Walnut’ Worden Hill Pinot Noir ($155)

This red wine from the Dundee Hills is a perfect bottle for every Pinot lover - it has supple tannin, fine minerality, ripe red fruit flavor, and spice notes.

6. 2017 Lingua Franca Mimi's Mind Pinot Noir ($151)

This Oregon wine from the Lingua Franca winery has an intense raspberry aroma and cherry cola, dark fruit, and spice notes.

7. 2014 Domaine Serene Mark Bradford Vineyard Pinot Noir ($149)

This wine bottle from the Dundee Hills has crisp minerality, a black fruit tasting note, a palate of cherry flavor, and hints of exotic spice and black tea. 

8. 2016 Nicolas Jay Bishop Creek Pinot Noir ($124)

This Willamette Valley Pinot Noir wine from the Nicolas Jay winery has juicy acidity, exotic spice hints, and tasting notes of black cherry and ripe red fruit. 

9. 2014 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir ($124)

This Oregon wine from the Archery Summit winery has supple tannins, crisp acidity, and a palate of black fruit and black tea notes. 

10. 2016 Bergstrom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($100)

This Willamette Valley Pinot Noir fine wine has supple tannins, red fruit flavor, medium acidity, cherry aroma, and strawberries and plum flavors.

Oregon Pinot Noir Wine: Styles, Taste And Food Pairings

Oregon produces three Pinot Noir wine styles:

• Red Oregon Pinot Noir wines: They are elegant, light-bodied, and have silky tannins, fruity complexity, and develop vanilla, cinnamon, and clove notes when aged in French oak.
• Rose Pinot Noir: They have brilliant acidity, strawberry flavors, floral aromas, and a dry finish. 
• Rare white Pinot Noir: They have subtle red berry notes with white flower and citrus aromas.

The reds pair best with gruyere and roast duck, the roses with seafood, and the white Pinots go best with pork and roast chicken.

Should You Invest In Oregon Pinot Noir Wines?

Wine production in the Oregon wine industry has grown tremendously - from 1.6 million cases in 2004 to almost 3 million cases in 2015.

Also, the past couple of years have been marked by increased optimism towards investment in the state’s wine industry. Top Burgundian wine producers, like the Joseph Drouhin winery, and other companies outside the state have started investing in Oregon’s Pinot Noirs. 

Meanwhile, Oregon Pinot Noir performs well at auctions as well. In August 2021, five Adelsheim Pinot Noir “Cheers to 50 Years” cases were sold for $17,500 at the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir auction.

So, if you’re considering investing in Oregon Pinot Noir and other fine wine bottles, then do it with a reliable wine investment company, like Vinovest, that’ll help you quickly buy, store, and sell investment-grade wine bottles.

Now, let’s briefly look at Oregon’s climate and terroir that favors the cultivation of these grapes so well.

The Climate And Terroir Of Oregon

Pinot Noir grape varieties are difficult to grow and only thrive in regions with cool climates, such as Burgundy. 

Fortunately, Oregon shares many climatic similarities with Burgundy - the winter is typically cool, wet, and mild, spring is rainy, and summer is warm with cool nights.

Also, Oregon, particularly the Willamette Valley, has volcanic and sedimentary soils perfect for growing fine Pinot Noir grape varieties.

Oregon Pinot Noir: A Brilliant Bottle For Any Wine Lover

For most people, Burgundian Pinot Noir is the ideal choice, but you might also want to check out Oregon’s Willamette Valley for its incredible, investment-worthy Pinots.

If you’re into fine wine investment, visit the Vinovest website to discover how you can easily buy, store, and sell authentic Pinot Noir, white wine, Chardonnay, and other remarkable wine bottles from across the globe.