Patricia Green Cellars
Oregon's most prolific cataloger of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, dedicated to honest terroir expression from the Willamette Valley's greatest historic sites.
Founded in 2000 by Patricia Green and Jim Anderson on a 52-acre former Autumn Wind estate in Ribbon Ridge, Patricia Green Cellars produces around 10,000 cases annually, with 90 to 95 percent devoted to Pinot Noir across a portfolio that self-describes as more individual Pinot Noir bottlings than any other winery in America. The estate's 2016 Bonshaw Block earned a perfect 100 points from Wine Enthusiast, the first such score for a Willamette Valley wine.
- Founded in 2000 by Patricia Green and Jim Anderson, who purchased the former Autumn Wind Winery and its 52-acre Ribbon Ridge estate
- The estate is among the older established vineyards in what is now the Ribbon Ridge AVA, and the site houses what are believed to be the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in the Willamette Valley, planted in 1990
- Produces approximately 10,000 cases annually, with 90 to 95 percent dedicated to Pinot Noir across 20 or more distinct single-vineyard and single-block designates
- The 2016 Estate Vineyard Bonshaw Block Pinot Noir received a perfect 100 points from Wine Enthusiast (reviewer Paul Gregutt), making it the first Willamette Valley wine to earn that distinction
- All vineyards are farmed with no irrigation, and the estate is farmed organically
- Co-founder and winemaker Patricia Green died on November 6, 2017, at age 62; Jim Anderson is co-owner and head winemaker, and the winery continues operating
History and Founding
Patricia Green and Jim Anderson launched Patricia Green Cellars in 2000 after departing Torii Mor, where they had met in the 1990s. Green had become Torii Mor's first winemaker in 1993, having previously worked harvests at Adelsheim Vineyard and begun her wine career picking grapes at Hillcrest Winery in Roseburg in 1986. When the owners of the former Autumn Wind Winery in Ribbon Ridge reached out about a sale, Green and Anderson purchased the 52-acre property, including its cellar, equipment, and existing vineyard, in 2000. The winery was built on the conviction that great Oregon vineyards could produce uniquely excellent wines if people dedicated themselves to the farming and winemaking necessary to do so. Patricia Green died on November 6, 2017, at age 62; Jim Anderson has led winemaking since, and remains co-owner and head winemaker.
- Purchased the former Autumn Wind Winery estate in 2000
- Patricia Green was the first winemaker at Torii Mor from 1993; she and Anderson met there before departing to found Patricia Green Cellars in 2000
- Green's winemaking career began with grape-picking at Hillcrest Winery in Roseburg in 1986, followed by harvest work at Adelsheim in the early 1990s
- Patricia Green died on November 6, 2017, at age 62; Jim Anderson is co-owner and head winemaker
Vineyard and Winemaking Philosophy
Patricia Green Cellars is dedicated fully and solely to expressing Pinot Noir as derived from where it is grown. The winery farms all of its vineyard holdings, whether owned or under contract, without irrigation, ensuring that each site's soil, microclimate, clonal material, and vine age speak directly through the wine. The estate is farmed organically. Winemaking follows a vintage-responsive approach: consistent practices such as fruit sorting, cold soaking, and punch-down are applied with intensity calibrated to each vintage and site, rather than to a fixed formula. The winery also produces small volumes of Sauvignon Blanc, including from what are documented as the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in the Willamette Valley, as well as Chardonnay from estate plantings.
- No irrigation across all vineyard holdings; dry-farming is central to the winery's terroir philosophy
- Estate vineyard farmed organically
- Winemaking adapts vintage to vintage; cold soaking, sorting, and punch-down are consistent practices applied with fluid intensity
- Portfolio is almost entirely Pinot Noir; Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay produced in smaller volumes from estate and contracted sites
Vineyard Designates and Terroir
Patricia Green Cellars self-describes as producing more individual bottlings of Pinot Noir than any other winery in America. In a typical vintage the winery releases 20 or more distinct Pinot Noirs, differentiated by vineyard, block, clone, or vine age, drawing from sites across Ribbon Ridge, Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountains, and Eola Hills. The estate sits on a 52-acre property, with the vineyard divided into numerous individually-farmed blocks, each picked, fermented, and barreled separately. The flagship Estate Vineyard Old Vine bottling draws from vines aged 24 to 38 years, where Anderson has observed that vines around 25 years old begin shifting from darker fruit toward a brighter, redder fruit profile with greater minerality. Since 2012 the winery has made a particular point of cataloging historic Oregon vineyard sites by making wine from them, including sites planted as far back as the late 1960s.
- Estate vineyard's blocks picked, fermented, and barreled individually as numerous separately-farmed sections
- Estate Old Vine bottling sourced from vines 24 to 38 years old; vine age shift around 25 years produces brighter, redder fruit with greater minerality
- Bonshaw Block is a roughly 1.5-acre south-slope block of 100% Pommard clone from a 1990 planting
- Since 2012 the winery has actively cataloged historic Oregon vineyard sites, including sites established in the late 1960s and early 1970s
Critical Acclaim and Recognition
Patricia Green Cellars has earned consistent critical recognition since its founding. The milestone moment came in 2018, when Wine Enthusiast awarded the 2016 Estate Vineyard Bonshaw Block Pinot Noir a perfect 100 points, reviewed by Paul Gregutt. This was the first perfect score given to a Willamette Valley wine. The winery has been consistently noted by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast across multiple vintages, with the 2015 vintage Pinot Noirs cited by Wine Spectator as among the best in the winery's history.
- 2016 Estate Vineyard Bonshaw Block scored 100 points from Wine Enthusiast (Paul Gregutt), the first perfect score for a Willamette Valley wine
- First Willamette Valley wine to receive a perfect 100-point score from Wine Enthusiast
- 2015 vintage Pinot Noirs rated among the winery's best-ever by Wine Spectator
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Open in the app →Heritage Vineyards and Legacy
A core pillar of Patricia Green Cellars is the pursuit and preservation of Oregon's historic vineyard heritage. Since 2012 the winery has made a distinct point of sourcing from sites with particular relevance to the Oregon Pinot Noir story, including vineyards planted in the late 1960s and early 1970s by pioneers such as Dick Erath. The barrel room, called the Heritage Vineyard Room, showcases the winery's connection to Oregon's historic sites. The winery's approach holds that Oregon's vineyards, honestly farmed and minimally manipulated, are capable of producing wines of world-class distinction. Jim Anderson is co-owner and head winemaker, and the winery distributes through selective wholesale and a direct wine club structured around allocation for its most dedicated supporters.
- Heritage Vineyard Room in the barrel cellar documents and celebrates Oregon's historic vineyard sites
- Since 2012 the winery has actively cataloged historic sites, including those planted by Oregon wine pioneers in the 1960s and 1970s
- Wine club structured around allocation of limited-production wines to long-standing supporters
- Wines distributed through selective wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels
Current Releases and Style
Recent vintages from Patricia Green Cellars continue to demonstrate the precision and site-differentiation that define the producer. Recent single-vineyard and single-block releases include the Estate Vineyard, Estate Old Vine, Chehalem Mountain, Balcombe, Durant Madrone Block, and Estate Wadensvil Block, among others, typically noted for low alcohol and exceptional length. The wines are consistently noted for clear site-to-site differentiation, with Ribbon Ridge marine sedimentary soils producing mineral-driven, structured expressions and Dundee Hills sites delivering classic sculpted red-fruit character. The winery produces a Volcanic Soil and a Marine Sedimentary Soil bottling as entry-level expressions that anchor the philosophy underlying the entire range.
- Single-vineyard and single-block Pinot Noirs noted for low alcohol and exceptional length
- Marine Sedimentary and Volcanic Soil bottlings serve as accessible introductions to the winery's terroir-driven philosophy
- Ribbon Ridge estate sites show seashell minerality and bright acidity from uplifted marine sedimentary soils
- Dundee Hills designates such as Balcombe Vineyard display sculpted red-fruit character typical of volcanic Jory soils
Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noirs are consistently low in alcohol and high in site-specific character. Expect bright red and dark cherry, raspberry, and red currant on the fruit spectrum, with subtle earthy notes of graphite, mushroom, and dried tea threading through. The wines show precise acidity and fine-grained tannins without excess extraction. Marine sedimentary site bottlings from Ribbon Ridge tend toward seashell minerality, rhubarb, and pomegranate with a darker, more structured frame. Volcanic soil bottlings from Dundee Hills lean toward sculpted red fruits, iron, and citrus. Estate Old Vine bottlings add texture and concentration alongside a brighter, redder fruit profile that Anderson attributes to vine age exceeding 25 years. All wines are noted for exceptional length and aromatic complexity.
- Patricia Green Cellars Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir$29-32Blended from multiple historic Oregon vineyard sites; delivers silky cherry, graphite, and mineral precision at entry-level pricing.Find →
- Patricia Green Cellars Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc$28-29Sourced from oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines in Willamette Valley, planted 1990; crisp citrus and tropical fruit with saline minerality.Find →
- Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir$34-50Marine sedimentary site bottling from 1982 plantings; delivers dark berries and blue-fruit intensity with firm tannin structure.Find →
- Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard Old Vine Pinot Noir$42-48Vines planted 1984-1998 in Ribbon Ridge; shifts to bright red fruit and seashell minerality after 25+ years in ground.Find →
- Patricia Green Cellars Freedom Hill Vineyard Dijon 115 Clone Pinot Noir$55-60100% whole-cluster fermented; muscular tannins balance wild berries and floral notes for 10+ years cellaring potential.Find →
- Patricia Green Cellars Estate Vineyard Chardonnay$65-75Only Chardonnay bottling; grafted to this clone in 2019; toasted coconut and Key lime pie with lush lingering finish.Find →
- Founded 2000 by Patricia Green and Jim Anderson on the former Autumn Wind Winery estate; 52-acre property in Ribbon Ridge AVA, Yamhill County; approximately 10,000 cases annually, 90 to 95 percent Pinot Noir.
- Patricia Green = first winemaker at Torii Mor (from 1993), not founder; prior experience at Hillcrest Winery (1986) and Adelsheim harvests (early 1990s); died November 6, 2017, at age 62.
- Estate vineyard is among the older established sites in the Ribbon Ridge AVA; its blocks are picked, fermented, and barreled individually as numerous separate lots; the estate is farmed organically.
- 2016 Estate Vineyard Bonshaw Block = 100 points from Wine Enthusiast (Paul Gregutt, 2018); 100% Pommard clone from 1990 planting; first Willamette Valley wine to receive 100 pts from Wine Enthusiast.
- Key production philosophy = no irrigation across all sites; vintage-responsive winemaking; since 2012 actively cataloging historic Oregon vineyard sites; Heritage Vineyard Room in barrel cellar documents these sites.