This is a pre-arrival offering that is expected in spring of 2026
Our tasting impressions
With about an ounce of this in my glass, someone in the next room asked, "is that your wine I smell?" That is how powerful the aromatics are on this Pinot that barely pushes above 12% alcohol. The crunchy, red fruit is all about purity and the complex, tart notes from the whole cluster inclusion is incisive. You can enjoy this now for the gorgeous fruit, but it's tight, firmly structure and really intended for further aging.
These days, most cellar-worthy Pinots carry a hefty admission price. Indeed, a typical high-quality single-vineyard Willamette Pinot is around $75. But Saul doesn't roll that way. You get his brilliant and very serious Lost Coastlines for the cost of a basic Estate Pinot. Revel in our good fortune!
About this wine
Saul didn't want to make just another Willamette Pinot Noir. In 2021, he gained access to the distinct kind of Pinot he sought. The grapes come from Fir Crest Vineyard—a site he believes to be the most interesting in all of the prestigious Yamhill-Carlton AVA, but whose reputation hadn’t yet caught up to its quality.
Robert Moshier’s vineyard has the marine-sedimentary soils that the appellation is known for, but its proximity to the coast makes it significantly cooler than most of the more famous vineyards nearby. The Wadenswil clone vines were planted more than 25 years ago in Block 8. The elevation is 300’ and the exposition is east/southeast. This is the lower portion of the vineyard, which abuts a stand of fir trees. The cool air pools here and gets less sun than nearby blocks. The remarkably shallow soil (by Willamette standards) and sparse canopies give this a real European vineyard vibe.
The fermentation is with whole clusters, which seems to best suit Fir Crest fruit. The barriques have been used 4-6 times previously, so there’s just a just a trace of oak and plenty of transparency. 73 cases produced.
About the grape
Pinot Noir is an ancient grape from eastern France. Notoriously challenging, it thrives in cooler climates. Intense popularity resulted in plantings all over the world. It's typically light in color and body but can develop significant tannin.
About the vintage
Here are Saul's notes: 2022 was an odd year--much of the valley was hit by frost and so the growing season was pushed back, only to be saved by one of the warmest Octobers on record. The grapes seemed to have unusually thick skins, but good acid and brightness. The late-season heat occured when the days were fairly short, so in white wines it presents as a much more "cool climate" year, even by Oregon standards. In terms of profile, '22 reminds me a lot of 2019, which was often a bit grumpy and reticent young, but has filled out nicely and now the wines are really nice.
Music Reference
A 2008 song title Okkervil River with a duet discussion of how hard it is to keep the band together.
In a VDLT portfolio of small producers, Championship Bottle is the micro-est. Owner/winemaker Saul Mutchnick crafts about 600 cases of wine from grapes he acquires from some of the top vineyards in Willamette Valley. He seeks out some of the Valley’s finest growers, who already farm in concert with his priorities. He visits the plots regularly, insists on 100% control over the date to hand pick and participates in the harvest.
Based in Portland, Saul and his wife Sonya rent space at a winery in Amity. The winery name is based on Championship Vinyl from the film "High Fidelity." Saul is a huge music fan and most of his wine names have a music connection.
His wine influence is definitively the Italian region Friuli, which he considers to have much in common with the Willamette Valley - all the vineyards are dry farmed and sustainably farmed. They also share many grape varieties in common (he will not work with varieties that are not grown in Friuli).
Saul worked in wine shops early in his career. That combined with his love of the complex but transparent white wines of Friuli, inspired him to make his own wine. He is quick to point out that his goal is to make Oregon wines that reflect Friuli - not the other way around.
The first evidence that he is up to something uncommon: most of his wines clock in below 13% alcohol. Plus, try to find a new oak barrel in his arsenal. His focus is on clarity, purity, terroir and food-frienliness. He likes native yeast fermentation for its complexity, and long elevage to promote age-worthiness.
Championship Bottle is truly a labor of love and artisanship. They produce beautiful wines that have so much to say about the vineyards and the winemaker.
