J L Kiff is a charming, family-owned and -operated, Yamhill-Carlton AVA winery focused on estate-grown Pinot Noir. Joel and Laurie Kiff wear all the hats. The vineyard is nine acres on a hill of volcanic soil that used to be a cattle ranch. 

The winery and tasting room are an old pole barn, which Danes and Norwegians might call hygge—informal, cozy, and inviting. Visitors look out through a window at the vineyard while they taste.

J L Kiff makes just one Pinot Noir from their property, along with a rosé. The bottles are light, low-carbon-footprint glass with screw cap closures. The attractive label art was created by their grown-up kids.

I tasted through the wines with Laurie and Joel at the winery on a cool, slightly damp day, perfect for tasting. We started with rosé, then dove into a vertical of the Pinot, 2010-2014. The wines were all quite good, and seem to be improving with each vintage.

2017 J L Kiff Rosé of Pinot Noir 88 750ml $22

The winemaker let the juice from some of his estate Pinot Noir mingle with the skins for four days, before pressing it off to ferment. The color is bright with a coral red hue. It’s tasty and satisfying, the flavors strawberry, orange rind, and dry herb. The lightly juicy palate is long and has medium-plus body.

2011 J L Kiff Pinot Noir 90 750ml $40

We tasted this Pinot first. The vintage led to a wine which is lighter and an earlier drinker than the 2010. The color is light and garnet but the nose has lovely intensity, offering notes of tea, orange, gently stewed cherry, grenadine, and bran. The fruit gains richness as the wine gathers air in the glass. Body is medium with light tannins which are very fine and offer just a touch of grip on the lips. Flavors match the nose.

2010 J L Kiff Pinot Noir 91+ 750ml $40

The 2010 is much like the 2011, but fresher, juicier, and a bit more complex. The color is light garnet. Aromas and flavors include tea, ripe red cherry, bran, forest floor, dried flowers, and spice. Nicely mouthwatering with a long finish.

2012 J L Kiff Pinot Noir 92 750ml $40

Small clusters in 2012 led to more concentration and color. This wine is ruby-colored with notes of sour cherry, delicate tea, chamomile, and pomegranate. Body is on the generous side of medium with gentle acidity, good length and fine, structural tannins.

2013 J L Kiff Pinot Noir 92+ 750ml $40

This is an elegant wine that shows evolution. Color is shifting from ruby to garnet. The nose is handsome with baking spice, aged wood, tea, forest floor, and rose petal. The palate has medium-plus body, well-integrated tannins, and a long, mineral-laden finish.

2014 J L Kiff Pinot Noir 93 750ml $40

Another elegantly pretty wine, this time with generous aromas and flavors of tea, cranberry, sour cherry, delicate spice, dried flowers, and rose petal. The fine-grained tannins finish with a bit of chalk, but are well balanced by fruit on the medium-bodied palate. Great presence, long finish.

Though these wines vary with the vintage and their age, they paint a clear, consistent picture of what the vineyard offers. It’s lovely. The fruit focus is red, gently ripe and appetizingly tart. The consistent accents of tea and flowers, with cameos from forest floor, spice, and mineral, deliver the complex savoriness that many Pinot lovers crave. I’m looking forward to the next vintages.

J L Kiff is conveniently close to the town of McMinnville, actually the closest of all estate wineries. They’re open for tastings on Saturday afternoons, or by appointment.

You can find more of my Willamette Valley related articles here.

Copyright Fred Swan 2019. Images courtesy of J L Kiff. All rights reserved.