2002 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
E&R Wine Shop, Portland, Oregon
Best red wine of 2004
Liner & Elsen Wine Merchants, Portland, Oregon
By Peter Gibson, May 2005
I met Jim Prosser (he of the well-coiffed bed head) in 1999 over dinner at the Ponzi café with Véronique Drouhin and my harvest mates that year at Domaine Drouhin. Jim approached our table with a swagger that would’ve made James Cagney blush. He exuded a confidence rarely encountered in self-effacing Oregon vignerons. Initially I was put off, but little did I know that he’d worked for Véronique previously and had also done stages in New Zealand, Australia and at Domaine George Roumier in Burgundy. That year Prosser was working for Doug Tunnell at Brick House while also making his debut wine for his J.K. Carriere label. This man works hard, his experience is impeccable, and his confidence well earned.
We sold Jim’s inaugural 1999 Pinot by the caseload before he got the big press. On one of his many deliveries – he delivered his own wine in those days – he asked us with amazement what we were doing to sell so much of his wine. We answered simply that we liked it. Fortunately, his auspicious début was no flash in the pan; Jim’s dedication has not waned, and his wines continue to be among the elite each and every vintage.
With the
2002 J.K. Carriere we have Oregon Pinot in the style of Clos Vougeot: deep, dark and mysterious. Black fruits like boysenberries and black cherries intermingle with high-toned red fruits like red currants. As with a good Clos Vougeot, there’s structure, poise, reserve and austerity behind and in support of the wine’s fruit expression. Neither the fruit nor the structure overwhelms the other, but rather seem to work together to achieve a sense of both power and harmony.
The core of the wine contains a mineral component akin to lead pencil that adds complexity to the bright, sappy fruit. I also find the faintest hint of stems on the back-palate, à la Dujac, which brings even further dimension to the wine. The finish is long, elegant and firm, with a reprise of the lead pencil minerality. While one can certainly enjoy this wine in its youth, I advise cellar time of five to ten years. Jim ferments with wild yeasts and does not inoculate to induce malolactic fermentation, but rather allows it to occur naturally. I believe that these choices will work to the wine’s benefit and give added complexity to the wine as it ages in the cellar.
2002 Provocateur
The Oregonian - September 19, 2004
J.K. Carriere Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Provocateur 2002, $18
The 2002 vintage in the Willamette Valley is proving to be a blockbuster year, at least with respect to pinot noir. Collectively, the pinot noirs are dark and fully ripe-tasting, which isn't such a bad thing. The lesser wines are at least fruity, if one-dimensional. But the better bottlings have layers of flavors and plenty of them.
This small-production bottling, brand-named Provocateur, is from owner-winemaker Jim Prosser. (The winery name, J.K. Carriere, is derived from the names of his grandfathers.) Prosser buys grapes from various vineyards; Provocateur is a blend of four Willamette Valley vineyards.
The result is a sleek, beautifully delineated pinot noir of real substance and finesse. You'll find powerful whiffs of blackberry, black cherry and red currant allied to excellent balance. Production is small (459 cases) and distribution limited, but this is an Oregon pinot noir worth hunting down. I've had 2002 Oregon pinots asking twice this price that weren't half as good. It's a genuine bargain at $18 a bottle. -- Matt Kramer
The San Francisco Chronicle - October 14, 2004
The Chronicle’s Wine Selections: The panel’s picks for Oregon Pinot Noir priced less than $30, from 2000, 2001, and 2002.
2002 J.K. Carriere Provocateur Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: Rose, black cherry, cinnamon and earth nose; coating tannins; nicely balanced with long finish. Low production, winery only.
2001 Willamette Valley
Wine Spectator - May 31, 2003
90, J.K. Carriere Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2001, $36
Juicy, spicy style offers pepper-scented currant and berry flavors, finishing with fine-grained tannins and a deft touch of acidity. Drink now through 2008. 1,100 cases made. -H.S.
La Revue du vin de France - No. 469, Mars 2003
Oregon : le mystère des pinots de l'Ouest
Planté au nord de la Californie sous la même latitude que la Côte d'Or, ce vignoble de pinot noir s'est affranchi de l'influence bourguignonne. Animé par l'espirit des pionniers, il ne cesse de progresser.
Par Isabelle Bachelard
4 of 5 stars
J.K. Carriere Stony Mountain 2001
Ce vin do coeau est un des plus sophistiqués : desité et finesse d'un chambolle-musigny. Pour son deuxième millésime en tant que négociant-vinificatuer, Jim Prosser affiche sa maîtrise.
NW Palate
Complex aromas of black fruits, mint and toast. Warm and spicy on the palate, with rich flavors of black fruits and cola. Juicy, yet restrained; cellar 2-3 years for additional complexity. Highly recommended.
Wine & Spirits - January/February 2004, p. 58
89, J.K. Carriere 2001 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, $36
Earthy tannins and fruit are both in abundance, but the tannins take preeminence for now; the beautiful raspberry fruit, accented by scents of cardamom, is grounded by a raspy earthiness. It may integrate with some time in the bottle. (1,100 cases) J.K. Carriere LLC, Newberg, OR
San Francisco Chronicle - Sept. 11, 2003
The Chronicle's Wine Selections: Oregon Pinot Noir
The panel's picks:
2001 J.K. Carriere Wines Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
"Violets and roses lead to blueberry and raspberry nose, similar flavors plus cherry, olive and lime, nice texture, velvety but with an acidic kick on the earthy finish."
2001 Provocateur
Wine Spectator - May 15, 2004
89, J.K. Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Provocateur 2001, $18
Polished, refined style offers black cherry and gentle spice notes that mingle and linger enticingly, adding a tarry, mineral touch at the very end. Drink now through 2010. 176 cases made. - H.S.
2000 Willamette Valley
Wine Spectator - June 15, 2002
89, J.K. Carriere Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2000, $36
Light, open-textured and appealing for its juicy blackberry, blueberry and currant flavors, which echo nicely on the fine-grained finish along with a hint of vanilla. Drink now through 2007. 740 cases made. -H.S.
Wine & Spirits - February 2003
90, J.K. Carriere 2000 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
A friend was so impressed with a Carriere wine he'd had in a Portland restaurant that he took the cork home and called the number printed on it - only to get the winemaker, Jim Prosser, on his cell phone. That's the Oregon scene in a nutshell: small town, high tech, old fashioned. Prosser built this 2000 from two vineyard sites, Corral Creek and Stony Mountain, and the result is a wine expressive of Willamette character, its high-toned strawberry fruit joined at the hip with dusty red earth that lasts. (740 cases) J.K. Carriere LLC, Newberg, OR
Clive Coates, The Vine, No. 216 - January 2003
"I regularly mark highly some wines, such as the Drouhin Laurene and those of Panther Creek, Ken Wright and the new super-star Jim Prosser of J.K. Carriere. Others seem to score one year and disappoint the next."
J.K. Carriere, Willamette Valley - 2005-2015 - 17.5 [of 20]
Fullish colour. Good class, depth and intensity on the nose. Fullish bodied, ripe, balanced and vigorous. Still a little tannin. Lovely fruit. This has very good depth, very good grip and no lack of flair. Lovely long, meaty finish. Fine. $35.00
The Wine Club San Francisco
J.K. Carriere 2000 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon
The highest compliment I can give a wine is to say that it has a 'sense of place'. This would be our homespun term for what can be best described as a wine's terrior coupled with its own distinct personality. J.K. Carriere's Pinot Noir is full of a personality that is rooted in its appellation, Yamhill County in Willamette Valley in Oregon. Yamhill County is an area known for making some of the most elegant Pinot outside the Cote D'Or. Carriere is nestled among the appellation's top producers and has proven itself among such exalted peers. The success of J.K.Carriere is a result of its winemaker/owner Jim Prosser. Clive Coates has called Prosser no less than a super-star, and the acclaim is well-deserved. Prosser has apprenticed in the best cellars from Burgundy to Brickhouse all in his pursuit to make great Pinot. He believes Pinot is defined by elegance and movement on the palate, that a great bottle of Pinot is no less than "a celebration of things that are small, hand-made and good to be around." When I taste Carriere's Pinot I am impressed by the craftsmanship that has created such an elegant, yet powerful Pinot. In these first two vintages, the Carriere already shows a distinct personality of black fruits, cherries and currants balanced with black pepper. Critics like Wine Spectator, Clive Coates and NW Palate use words like rich, vigorous, tempting, complex, and impressive to describe Prosser's Pinot. I would describe the Carriere as having a very distinct 'sense of place'.
- Jay Latham, The Wine Club San Francisco
2000 Isabella
Clive Coates, The Vine, No. 216 - January 2003
J.K. Carriere, Isabella - 2005-2015 - 18 [of 20]
Full, youthful colour. Still very purple. Lots of Pinot noir class on the nose here. A touch of oak. Rich and concentrated. This is very promising. Fullish body. Rich, vigorous and profound, Lovely fruit. Very good grip. Still a little tannin. Really fine, concentrated fruit here. Lots of dimension. Fine plus. $65.00
Wine Spectator
90, Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Isabella 2000, $65
Jim Prosser started making his own wines in 1999. He named this special bottling after a niece who arrived on the same day as the fruit. The wine is firm-textured, with a chewy edge to the wild cherry and mushroom flavors, which echo impressively on the finish. Drink now through 2008. 42 cases made. -H.S.
1999 Willamette Valley
Wine Spectator - June 15, 2001
91, J.K. Carriere Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 1999, $36
Rich, ripe and exotic in flavor, with a beautifully open texture that's supple and silky. Wild berry, plum, and currant flavors swirl through the finish and linger nicely. Tempting already. Best from 2003 through 2009. 500 cases made. -H.S.
Clive Coates, The Vine, No. 203 - December 2001
J.K. Carriere
Jim Prosser's first release. Full colour. Ripe, well-structured, just a little four-square nose. Plenty of depth on the palate. Full body. Good Tannins. Very good grip. Not four-square on the palate just backward. Lovely black fruit flavours. It needs time. Very fine. A most impressive debut.
Drink: 2006-2016
Score: 18.5/20
