Native Oregonian Jim Prosser’s path to wine was a lengthy one. After graduating from Oregon State, the owner and winemaker of Newberg, Oregon’s J.K. Carriere did everything from real estate and business advising for the Peace Corps to selling Christmas trees and touring the United States by bike before he was re-routed to Pinot Noir. Prosser worked for eight different producers within four different countries, including Domaine Drouhin in Oregon, Villa Maria in New Zealand, Domaine Georges Roumier in Burgundy, France and more. He started J.K. Carriere in 1999 in Yamhill County and dubbed it as so with the combined names of his grandfathers. The wasp on the label is a slight move of tongue-and-cheek—Prosser has a severe allergy to the insect and after being stung twice, he nearly saw the light.
Although the patriarchs might have taken the main title, Prosser names the 2012 Antoinette Pinot Noir for his grandmother and, according to his manifesto-style website, he says that “tasting [this wine] is the best descriptor of my winemaking intention.” Dark and hedonistic on the nose with ripe brambly fruit, black cherry, plum, baking spices and huckleberry jam, the aromas hint at a voluptuous and fleshy wine. The palate reminds that this is Willamette Valley fruit—with Bing cherry, tart raspberry, pomegranate, earth and lively acid to hold up the brooding aromatics for a fresher than fleshy finish.
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