97pts Jeb Dunnuck

The Lewman Vineyard was planted by the winery’s late neighbor Dennis Lewman in 1992 and is much denser than the estate vineyards, with five times as many plants per acre. The aromatics of the magenta-colored 2022 Pinot Noir Lewman Vineyard are beautiful as well as savory, with notes of porcini, almost reductive black raspberries, and mossy earth. Medium-bodied, it expands on the palate with ripe tannins and ripe fruit all the way through the long finish. It’s very appealing across the board, with a touch more plushness and a broad-shouldered feel. Drink 2025-2045.

96pts Decanter

This is the third vintage of this Pinot Noir from Lewman Vineyard which was established in 1992 by Bethel Heights' late neighbor Dennis Lewman. The vineyard was purchased in 2020 and became part of their estate holdings. An electric and upright Pinot loaded with dusty pomegranate aromatics, raspberry leaf and spiced dried orange peel. The palate pulses with verve and an umami-driven core of damp pine needles, smoky sea salt minerality and freshly turned soils. The core of red bramble fruits dangles a hint of rusticity across the palate's overriding elegance as a blood orange spritz brightens the whole affair toward the finish. Ageability that comes in an immediately enjoyable package. (CP)

96+pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2022 Pinot Noir Lewman Vineyard has deep, layered scents of pomegranate, rhubarb, tea leaves, salami and dried flowers. It gains purity as it airs in the glass, and its spicy undertones seem on the precipice of bursting open. The medium-bodied palate features concentrated, spicy flavors structured by powerful, powdery tannins and chiseled acidity, though its fruit is still youthfully coiled. Give it 3-5 years in the cellar to blossom.

95pts Vinous

Spiced citrus peel, rose, lavender, ground ginger and crushed stone create a compelling bouquet as the 2022 Pinot Noir Lewman Vineyard bursts from the glass. This is lifted and ethereal, seeming to hover across the palate with ripe wild berry fruits, offset by zesty acidity. The 2022 takes on a tart concentration through the finish, mixing edgy tannins with hints of blood orange as it tapers off pleasantly chewy and incredibly long. There's a lot of power beneath the hood, but there’s also an energetic core to balance it all out. (EG)

Winemaker Notes

This is our third vintage farming Lewman Vineyard and our second making a singular wine since we purchased the property. We had many excellent options at our disposal, and we elected to focus our attention on the southern blocks, which we felt had the best natural balance on the property. One of the many things that makes this property unique is the way savory and fruit come together: aromas of shiitake mushroom, soy, and cooking chocolate layer over black cherry, blueberry, and blood orange. There is a density and gravity to this vintage and this wine that will reward 3-5 years of patience and I think the real payoff will come in 10-15 years.

About the Winery

There's a reason the Willamette Valley has become synonymous with Pinot Noir produced in the United States, and Bethel Heights makes some of the best-- not to mention incredible Chardonnays as well!

In 1977 the Casteel family bought 75 acres of promising looking land northwest of Salem, which has now grown to over 100 acres. Since their first commercial vintage in 1984 the wine has always been produced by the Casteel family, with patriarch Terry at the helm until 2006, when his son Ben took over as winemaker.

The land has been the family's home for nearly 40 years and they treat it with the love and respect you'd expect: they are certified sustainable and on the forefront of the Willamette's eco-friendly practices.

This commitment to the land, in conjunction with the perfectly suited terroir, results in some spectacular wines (both red and white). The Casteels pride themselves on terroir-driven wines, and in fact all but one of the Pinots they produce are named after a place. This is also the reason they grow Chardonnay: it expresses the terroir perfectly.