Most lighter, fruit-forward Oregon Pinot Noir is made to drink in its first few years, while structured estate and single-vineyard bottlings can keep improving for a decade or more. Some Willamette Valley producers say their best reserve and single-vineyard Pinot Noir ages 15 to 20 years, according to a 2019 Oregon Wine Press story.
We’re Domaine St. Laurent, a family-owned estate winery in Eagle Point, in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. We make Pinot Noir from our own 25.90-acre vineyard, so here’s what we know about aging it, using our own wines as examples.
What makes Oregon Pinot Noir age well?
Acidity does most of the work. Oregon State University’s wine program calls acid the main structural component behind Oregon Pinot’s aging. Cool nights help the grapes keep it.
Tannin (the drying grip on your gums) matters less than you might think. Pinot Noir has less tannin than many red wines, so it plays a smaller part here than it does in something like Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fruit concentration counts too. The producers quoted by Oregon Wine Press pointed to concentrated fruit, good acidity and ripe tannins as the signs of a Pinot that will last. A wine that’s light on all three is built for drinking young, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Our vineyard sits at 1,525 to 1,650 ft, where the Rogue Valley meets the Cascade foothills. We get hot days and cold nights; the hot days build sugar in the grapes and the cold nights hold acidity.
How does it change in the bottle?
Slowly. Fresh red fruit like cherry, raspberry and strawberry fades over time, and earthy notes such as mushroom and forest floor come forward. The tannins soften and the wine feels smoother.
Some of the change happens early. OSU notes that a young wine with high acidity can soften into balance within a year or two in the bottle.
The vintage matters as well. Producers in the Oregon Wine Press story said wines from cooler, wetter Willamette vintages tasted much better at 10 years than at two or three.
How should I store it?
Keep it cool, dark and steady. Around 55°F is a good target, and big swings in temperature do more harm than a few degrees either way. Heat is the main thing to avoid.
Lay bottles with corks on their side so the cork stays moist. Screwcap bottles can stand up. If you don’t have a cellar, a closet on an inside wall, away from the kitchen and windows, works for a few years.
How do I know when a bottle is ready?
Buy more than one bottle if you can, and open one every year or two. If the fruit is still tight and the tannins grip, give the rest more time. If the fruit has started to fade, drink the others soon.
Critics often give a drinking window in their reviews, so those are worth reading too. We list every review of our wines, with links, on our Press & Ratings page.
Our 2023 Estate Pinot Noir is a good one to try this with. It’s a Block One blend (50% Pommard, 25% Dijon 777 and 25% Dijon 115), aged 16 months in French oak, and it’s $45 a bottle. Norm Roby of Wine Review Online gave it 93 Points and told readers to “make room in your cellar.” Only a few cases are left.
How long will our wines keep?
Here’s what we and the critics have said about each of our current wines.
| Wine | Style | What’s been said about aging |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Estate Pinot Noir | Block One blend, 16 months in French oak, 13.8% | Our note: wonderful now, and best with 2 to 5 years of cellaring. Loren Sonkin of IntoWine suggested drinking it over the next 8 to 12 years. |
| 2024 Estate Pinot Noir | 100% Pommard, 18 months in mostly neutral French oak, 13.1% | Our note: drink now, or cellar for 10 years or more. |
| 2023 Rogue Valley Pinot Noir | Light-bodied, bright red fruit, screwcap, 13.3% | Our note: drink now, or cellar for 5 years or more. |
| 2024 Enchanté Blanc de Noirs | Brut sparkling, 12.6% | Courtney Humiston of JamesSuckling.com rated it ready to drink now. |
| 2023 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir | Dry rosé, stainless steel, 12.8% | Our note: drink now, or cellar for a few more years. |
The 2024 Estate is close in style to the 2023, with more body and firmer tannins. You can read more about it in our 2024 Estate Pinot Noir release post.
Quick answers
How long does Oregon Pinot Noir last? Lighter bottlings are best in their first few years; structured single-vineyard and reserve wines can age a decade or more.
What helps Pinot Noir age? Mostly acidity, along with concentrated fruit and ripe tannins.
How should I store Pinot Noir? Somewhere cool (around 55°F), dark and steady, with corked bottles on their side.
Can you drink Oregon Pinot Noir young? Yes; many are made to drink on release, and our 2023 Estate is drinking well now.
How long will Domaine St. Laurent’s Pinot Noir keep? Our 2024 Estate Pinot Noir drinks well now and can cellar for 10 years or more; our 2023 Rogue Valley Pinot Noir, 5 years or more.
Every review of our wines is on our Press & Ratings page, and our wines are in the shop.