Denison Cellars Wines

Denison Cellars is focused on creating wines of elegance and balance that reflect the unique
characteristics of the vineyards from which the grapes are sourced.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is the cornerstone of Denison Cellars. Sourcing from multiple premium vineyard sites, we study each expression with interest.

  • New Release!
    The 2022 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a blend of 777 and Pommard clones from Johnson Ridge and Björnson vineyards. This wine is garnet in color, with aromas and flavors of black raspberry, Bing cherry, and pomegranate. Elegant in style, this wine features velvety tannins, with wonderful fruit focus and a long seamless finish.
    $32.00 / bottle

  • The 2021 Bjornson Vineyard pinot noir displays vibrant red and dark cherry flavors with bright, focused acidity. This un-fined and unfiltered wine is delightful on release, and will age gracefully for 8+ years.

    $50.00 / bottle

  • Fruit for the 2019 Björnson Vineyard pinot noir was sourced from Kristjan’s and Kaitlyn’s blocks in their estate vineyard in the Eola Hills. Clones include Pommard and 777; each contributes a unique characteristic to the blend, adding to the overall depth and complexity of the wine. The resulting wine is deep ruby in color and displays aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, and cranberry. With hints of cola and all-spice, the ripe, velvety tannins provide structure for rich, mouth-filling volume. Flavors of dark red fruit persist into a lingering finish.
    92 points - JamesSuckling.com
    $48.00 / bottle

  • The 2021 Johnson Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is a bend of 777, Pommard, and an unidentified clone that was mislabeled at the nursery. The resulting wine has deep garnet color, aromas of black raspberry, dark cherry, forest floor, and a hint of Italian plum. Mouth-filling flavors of blackberry, black cherry, a hint of blueberry follow. This wine displays dense mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a long seamless finish.

    $50.00 / bottle

  • The 2019 Johnson Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is a blend of 777 and Pommard clones, as well as a mis-labelled clone that has yet to be identified. The resulting wine has dark garnet color, aromas of blackberry, freshly turned earth, and a hint of cola. Mouth-filling flavors of blackberry, black cherry, and a hint of blueberry follow. The wine displays velvety mid-palate volume, wonderful clarity, and a long seamless finish.

    94 points & Editors’ Choice - Wine Enthusiast
    93 Points – Purely Domestic Wine Report
    93 Points – JamesSuckling.com

    Only 75 cases of this extraordinary wine were ever produced.

    $48.00 / bottle

  • The 2018 Kiff Vineyard Pinot Noir is a blend of 667 and Pommard clones. Each contributes unique characteristics; 667 provides mid-palate volume and red fruit flavors, and Pommard adds cranberry, rhubarb, mineral notes, and structure. The resulting wine is garnet in color; It has rich mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a long, seamless finish with flavors of ripe raspberry, cranberry and underlying hints of mulled spices.
    92 points - purely domestic wine report
    $45.00 / bottle

Reserve Pinot Noir

Sometimes you make a wine that’s just special - the cream de la creme. At Denison Cellars, that is our Tête de Cuvée.

  • Tête de Cuvée Pinot Noir is only produced when we are able to create a blend that transcends our single-vineyard wines. While the focus of each single-vineyard bottling is to showcase the vintage and vineyard, the goal with Tête de Cuvée is to create the best blend possible. In the 2019, we have included components from Björnson Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills AVA), Claygate Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge AVA), and Johnson Ridge Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills AVA). The resulting wine is multi-layered and refined with rich flavors of Italian plum, dark cherry, and ripe raspberry. Hints of cranberry and river rock add complexity to the blend. This wine displays dense mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a long lingering finish. All of the fruit spent two days in a cold-soak to extract color. Fermentation was completed in small, one-ton bins and took between 30 and 36 days to complete. French oak barrels were used for aging, 17% of which were new, and the blend was created and bottled in February 2021, after spending 13 months in barrel.
    93 points - purely domestic wine report
    94 points - jamessuckling.com
    Only 50 cases were produced.
    $80.00 / bottle

  • Tête de Cuvée Pinot Noir is only produced when we are able to create a blend that transcends our single-vineyard wines. While the focus of each single-vineyard bottling is to showcase the vintage and vineyard, the goal with Tête de Cuvée is to create the best blend possible. In the 2018, we have included components from Claygate Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge AVA), Noel Vineyard (Chehalem Mountains AVA), and Johnson Ridge Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills AVA). The resulting wine is multi-layered and refined with rich flavors of Italian plum and ripe blackberry. Hints of mineral, clove, vanilla and spice add complexity to the blend. This wine displays dense mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a lingering seamless finish. All of the fruit spent four days in a cold-soak to extract color. Fermentation was completed in small, one-ton bins and took between 28 and 30 days to complete. French oak barrels were used for aging, 7% of which were new, and the blend was created and bottled in May 2020, after spending 13 months in barrel and 6 months in tank.
    95 points - purely domestic wine report
    Only 50 cases were produced.
    $70.00 / bottle

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a new area of discovery for Denison Cellars. We love this subtle white grape and its delicate moods that are drawn out through considerate winemaking.

  • The 2022 Willamette Valley Chardonnay was produced from fruit harvested from Stiling Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA ; the blend is 84% clone 76 and 16% clone 95. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and fermented and aged in 68% stainless steel and 32% neutral French oak barrels. Fermentation took 32 days, and 20% of the wine was allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was bottled on October 9th of 2023. This chardonnay features subtle mineral notes as well as Asian pear and lemon meringue. The mid-palate is crisp and accompanied by a creamy texture that fans out into a long, seamless finish.

    $32.00 / bottle

  • The 2022 Stiling Vineyard Chardonnay was produced from Dijon clone 95. Stiling Vineyard is located on the east side of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and features a northeast aspect at elevations between 320 and 380 feet. Soils are primarily basalt, composed of Jory, Witzel, and Ritner series. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed and aged in 100% French oak barrels, 25% of which were new. This chardonnay features notes of vanilla, toast, and pie crust. Flavors of Bosc pear and lemon with hints of graham cracker follow. The mid-palate is crisp and accompanied by a creamy texture that fans out into a long, seamless finish.

    $45.00 / bottle

  • New Release!

    Eola Springs Vineyard is located in southern part of the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, and we chose a vineyard block that features clone 15. The block features a southwest facing slope between 320 and 390 feet of elevation and consists of deep, well-drained volcanic soils that include Jory with basalt and course fragments. . The vines are tightly spaced at 6’ x 3.5’, which leads to intensely aromatic and flavored fruit. The wine features mineral notes with flavors and aromas of Asian pear, lemon, and lemon-lime. The texture is creamy and is supported by bracing acidity. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to finish so this wine displays great mid-palate volume. This wine is extremely well balanced and features a very long finish.
    $45.00 / bottle

  • New Release!

    Our Eola Springs Vineyard Chardonnay is produced from L.I.V.E. certified grapes grown in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The vineyard is south facing at an elevation of 370 to 400 feet and is planted on volcanic soil; Van Duzer corridor winds cool the vineyard at night, allowing for slow, even ripening. With flavors of Asian pear and meringue, and a hint of stony minerality, this wine is a delightful compliment to Northwest fare.
    $45.00 / bottle

  • The 2018 Cuvée Denise Chardonnay was produced in a style reminiscent of the fine wines made in Burgundy with fruit harvested from Cassin Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed into French oak barrels (one of which was new) where primary fermentation occurred over the next 6 months. All of the wine completed malolactic fermentation, and the lees were lightly stirred every month during aging to add creaminess to the mid-palate texture. The wine displays flavors and aromas of toasty vanilla, crême brulée and lemongrass. The mid-palate has a creamy texture that leads into a long, lingering finish.
    Only 24 cases produced.
    $75.00 / bottle

Rosé

Our rosé is another fresh expression of Pinot Noir. Light, bright, and delicious, it’s a fun wine to make and an easy wine to drink.

  • New Release!
    The 2023 Johnson Ridge Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir was produced from fruit harvested specifically for rosé, with a focus on ripe skins and flavors. This wine is deep ruby in color, featuring enticing flavors and aromas of dark cherry and black raspberry. The mouthfeel is rich, and the mid-palate fans out into a long, seamless finish. Enjoy this Rosé as a perfect compliment to Northwest fare.

    110 cases produced
    $28.00 / bottle

Free local delivery within Yamhill County, Salem, and Portland with any 3+ bottle purchase.