Nicolas-Jay Vintage Guide
This guide brings together a decade of tasting experience to highlight the growing seasons, harvest conditions, and optimal drinking window of our wines. It reflects our ongoing evaluation of each vintage and is updated periodically to share the most current insights. Last updated May 5, 2026.
2023
The growing season was marked by exceptional conditions, with ample winter precipitation providing the vines with the energy needed for the year ahead. Spring was cold and wet, delaying bud break by about a week from the typical mid-April timing. Warm summer temperatures then advanced the season, supporting healthy and abundant vine growth.
This is a typically rich vintage from early September that nonetheless shows excellent restraint, giving the wines backbone and structure. They can be enjoyed now and over the next two years for their aromas and seductive texture, but their potential for evolution is significant and should not be underestimated. Be sure to cellar both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to revisit in five to six years.
Drink now through 2035.
2022
The 2022 Oregon growing season began cool and wet, delaying bud break and early vine development compared to recent years. Conditions turned warmer and drier through the summer, allowing for steady ripening with few extreme heat events. A warm, extended fall provided ideal harvest conditions, resulting in balanced fruit quality and slower, more even maturation than in 2021.
We began picking in mid-October, making it one of the latest harvests of the past decade and yielding wines that are already open and approachable. Recent tastings of the 2022 L’Ensemble show a more generous, expressive profile than surrounding vintages, and we currently favor drinking 2022s over 2021s and 2023s. The wines are well-balanced and enjoyable now, while still offering the potential to develop further over the next few years.
Drink now through 2030.
2021
The 2021 growing season in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest began cool and dry, with spring frosts, early heat events, and fluctuating temperatures through bloom. A historic late-June heat dome shattered temperature records across the region, though vineyard damage was less severe than expected. Overall, the season remained warmer than average—ranking among the hottest on record—with significantly elevated growing degree-days across the state.
A ripe, early-September vintage, the wines have evolved from an initial display of seductive fruit to a more structured expression of acidity and restraint. The fruit was pristine and yields were balanced, resulting in moderate alcohol levels and bright acidity. The wines remain approachable, and this evolution has brought greater balance and seriousness to the vintage. For now, they are best cellared in favor of more immediately ready vintages.
Drink now through 2035.
2020
An otherwise warm, dry spring was interrupted by wet weather during flowering, reducing yields to record lows in many areas. A warm summer had set the stage for a promising harvest, but a series of lightning storms ignited record wildfires in the Cascade Range, and the resulting smoke inundated the Willamette Valley, largely devastating the vintage. We produced only a small amount of rosé, direct-press Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. All of the whites are showing very well, with Affinités a bit tight still and Fleur Blanche living its life quietly, progressing into integration and refinement. The unique 2020 vintage for whites shows very intriguing wines that will continue to improve over the next 5 years.
Drink now through 2030.
2019
The coolest vintage in the Willamette Valley since 2010, 2019 began with a wet spring. Yields were slightly higher than in 2018, and summer brought rain events in June and July along with lower-than-average maximum temperatures throughout the growing season. Increased humidity led to higher disease pressure, requiring careful vineyard management. Heavy rains and a rapid cooldown resulted in an early, highly compressed harvest window from September 14 to September 29.
Initially somewhat tannic and austere, the wines benefited from patience. They have since mellowed, with the more angular elements integrating over time, and are now showing well. The 2019 Bishop Creek Chardonnay shows great minerality and preserved fresh acidity, with nuanced oak integration that comes with great aged chardonnay. L’Ensemble in particular is open, charming, and, along with its peers, can be enjoyed over the next five years.
Drink now through 2031.
2018
A later bud break provided a refreshing change from previous vintages, and summer was warm and dry without significant heat spikes affecting grape conditions. Yields were average for us, ranging from 1.5 to 3 tons per acre. Harvest was slow and steady, with occasional rain, allowing for a measured pace, and took place between September 14 and September 30.
A powerful, concentrated vintage, the wines show a compelling balance of ripeness and freshness. They benefit from decanting due to their firm acidity and tannic structure and are becoming increasingly approachable. The 2018 Own-Rooted is very approachable and should be enjoyed now. With its inclusion of so many distinct sites, the 2018 L’Ensemble is especially giving currently and has great aging potential in large format. In general, this is a vintage best suited for cellaring, with significant potential to gain finesse and complexity over the next five years.
Drink now through 2032.
2017
The 2016–2017 winter was exceptional, and Oregon entered spring with ample rainfall and a strong snowpack. Classic spring conditions persisted until a brief heat spike in late May, followed by cooler temperatures through most of June and July. Extreme August heat was paradoxically tempered by the presence of British Columbia wildfire smoke in the stratosphere. Harvest was slow and steady between September 24 and October 5, with beautiful weather and no significant disease pressure.
Harvested under overcast conditions in late September, 2017 was a generous vintage with higher yields compared to previous years, and the wines showed immediate generosity. A lighter style overall, they offered approachable, seductive drinking from the outset. With time, fruit and freshness have held well and are now showing additional complexity, making the wines arguably more interesting than they were five years ago. The 2017 Own-Rooted shows a wonderfully wide expression of the AVAs that are showcased within, offering a generous display of the sophistication of the vintage. Nysa is very soft and vibrant, Momtazi is a bit leaner (which suits the vintage well), and Bishop Creek is quite mellow.
All wines are fully enjoyable now, show no signs of decline, and are best consumed within the next three years.
Drink now through 2029.
2016
Early budbreak and warm spring temperatures recalled the 2015 and 2014 vintages, and a 100-degree heat spike during bloom resulted in millerandage and overall low yields. Fortunately, summer was mild, with occasional rain, and ripening slowed until mid-August. Harvest began early on August 30 and concluded on September 20.
After another precocious season, 2016 showed a “sweet” character, with tender wines of light structure, fleshy opulence, and ripe aromatics. They remained balanced, with alcohol kept under 14%, offering immediate pleasure from the outset. While retaining freshness, they have gained a new dimension with age, as tertiary notes have added depth and complexity. Today, they show secondary, earthy aromatics and a balanced, seductive palate. All wines are ready to drink and should be enjoyed over the next three years for their complexity and resolved tannins.
Drink now through 2029.
2015
Bud break began in March, and warm, dry spring conditions led to strong fruit set. As in 2014, key milestones occurred roughly two weeks earlier than the Oregon average. The summer was hot, with Western Oregon experiencing an historic number of 100-degree days. Temperatures cooled to average by harvest, which took place between September 3 and September 19.
2015 was the earliest vintage on record in Oregon, though the weeks leading into harvest were relatively mild. The wines were strong from the outset but somewhat austere, showing concentration, a caressing texture, and vibrant fruit framed by fresh acidity and elegant restraint. They initially showed some angularity and required 12 to 24 months after bottling to fully integrate. Today, they display wonderful freshness, vivid aromatics, and a smooth texture, though they still feel youthful. Momtazi is in an particularly impressive stage with primary fruit still the through line, delicately integrated with secondary and tertiary aromas. Willamette Valley is especially vibrant and charming, showing great concentration, with a caressing texture, great fruit, freshness, and what we could call an elegant restraint. The 2015s are evolving slowly and would benefit from another two to three years of cellaring before showing at their best.
Drink now through 2032+.
2014
The 2014 vintage began about two weeks earlier than average, with ripening occurring during a warm, dry summer. Heat accumulation for the season exceeded that of 2006, setting records for Oregon. Uncharacteristically warm nights further supported early ripening, and harvest ran from September 14 to October 2.
As our debut vintage, it was defined by very warm conditions that delivered notable opulence from the outset. The wines were rewarding young, showing a rich, caressing texture and generous fruit, and they have aged well since. Over time, they have gained additional freshness and tension in bottle, a progression not unlike great ripe vintages in Burgundy. Bishop Creek is slightly more closed and tight than Nysa and Willamette Valley but all are at a very good phase, and make a wonderful, perfectly mature glass of wine now. Today, they are on a plateau of maturity, showing no signs of decline and likely to remain stable for some time.
Drink now through 2031.