This Power Couple Crafts Some of Our Favorite Willamette Pinots!
Formerly the head winemaker at Beaux Frères, Grant Coulter stands out for an awe-shucks attitude that belies his acumen and stunning resume. He's one of the humblest, nicest people in a wine region chock full of them.
Two years ago, we were the first in Illinois to present the dazzling Willamette Valley Pinots he makes with his wife, Renée Saint-Amour. Today, fresh from the cellar, we bring you a pair of their resounding new releases from the 2024 vintage.
Leading off with their multi-vineyard "Old Eight Cut" bottling and concluding with one of the greatest young Willamette Pinots we've ever tasted, these wines are the epitome of Oregon Pinot Noir brilliance. Read on for details, them hammer that Big Green Button while supplies last!
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2024 Hundred Suns "Old Eight Cut" Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Where can a wine go that we previously likened to $200 1er Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges? Well, in the neo-classical 2024 harvest, sky-high! Vinous compares the growing season to legendary years like 2008 and 2012, calling it "a vintage to be excited about." Count us revved up!
Composed of six vineyards within the subregions of Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville and Dundee Hills, the 2024 Old Eight Cut captures Grant's philosophy from his years at Hamacher, Beaux Frères and Flaneur. He avoids fads, aiming for classic expressions that are benchmark examples.
With a sumptuous core of red fruit highlighted by cherry, strawberry-with-the-top-on, pomegranate and cranberry, and complexities of hibiscus, beetroot, chiseled stone, leafy blackberry and pine forest that gain intensity with air and echo through the long finish, this is the whole package.
Grant lets the fruit do the talking, with just 10% of the French oak barrels employed in aging being new. He likes the inclusion of whole clusters in his ferments and uses 25% for this bottling, adding dimension, energy, intrigue and structure. Irresistible now, it will doubtlessly age well for 6+ years. While Wine Advocate, Jeb Dunnuck and Decanter have not yet released their reviews of Grant's 2024 bottlings, these early reviews are a good indication of what's to come!
"The 2024 Pinot Noir Old Eight Cut wafts up with a remarkably pretty bouquet of sweet lavender and sage, a whiff of confectionery spice and crushed wild blueberries. It is juicy in character, with silky textures and cooling acidity as crisp wild berry fruits cascade across the palate. The finish is floral and perfumed, leaving a violet floral note to linger. Drinking window: 2026 - 2032.”
- 92 Points, Vinous - Eric Guido (7/2026)
"Lovely bright red berries, black cherries, spices, pine and red flowers on the nose. A silky palate with flavors of raspberries and crushed blackberries, fine tannins and a clean and mouthwatering finish with some bergamot. Drink now.”
- 93 Points, James Suckling (2/23/2026)
There's a huge amount of small-production artisanal goodness going on here, and we love that Grant and Renée keep their prices accessible. Big value!
Vin Chicago Price: 34.99
2024 Hundred Suns "Sequitur Vineyard" Pinot Noir
Ribbon Ridge, Willamette Valley, Oregon
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After spending 10 years helping Mike Etzel craft some of the most highly-regarded Pinot Noir in Oregon at Beaux Frères, Grant Coulter was the first person Mike Etzel allowed to access fruit at Sequitur, and very few have followed.
Adjacent to the Beaux Frères "Upper Terrace" vineyard, Grant helped Mike plant this forested site from scratch. What's resulted is one of the finest young Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that we have ever tasted.
A meager 120 cases were produced and we grabbed every bottle we could get, which was not a whole lot. On our scale, this surpassed the 95-Point threshold. Dynamic and textural with an everlasting finish, it is a thrilling wine.
"The 2024 Pinot Noir Sequitur is dark and brooding in the glass, as nuances of dusty earth and woodland herbs are lifted by crushed violets, sweet spice and dried strawberries. On the palate, this is pure elegance, like liquid cashmere, as polished red and blue fruits flow with ease, leaving a tactile mineral tinge in their wake. Drinking window: 2027 - 2037.”
- 94+ Points, Eric Guido, Vinous (7/2026)
"A silky and concentrated wine that is light on its feet, with aromas of black cherries, plums, pomegranates, wild herbs, oranges and grapefruit zest. Finely integrated tannins with nice richness and freshness. Drink or hold.”
- 94 Points, James Suckling (2/23/2026)
If you find a bottle of Mike Etzel's Sequitur Pinot, you'll pay around $100. His bottling from the adjacent Upper Terrace vineyard? Almost $150. This is a comparative value in an epic bottle of American Pinot Noir.
Vin Chicago Price: 64.99
