As one of the great historic Oregon estates, Domaine Drouhin Oregon has been crafting outstanding, terroir driven Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for over 30 years. Originally established in the 1980s, the house was founded by famed Burgundy producer, Domaine Drouhin, headed by Robert Drouhin, who decided to purchase land in the Dundee Hills. What was previously only Christmas trees and wheat, the Drouhin family began planting their first vineyards in Oregon. Robert chose his daughter, Véronique, to be the newly christened DDO winemaker, and her brother Philippe Drouhin took responsibility for viticulture. In 1988, DDO produced its first vintage, from purchased grapes, and in 1989 built the landmark, four-story gravity flow winery.
I last visited the winery in July as part of the Oregon Wine Board media tour and am always enchanted by the winery’s incredible views of the Willamette Valley. A visit to the tasting room is an absolute must for any Pinophile. What’s so cool about this tasting experience is you can try the Domaine Drouhin Burgundy estate wines there. It is a marvelous experience trying these wines side by side their new release wines from Oregon.
The new release wines come from some really exciting vintages in Oregon. This estate has been producing some top wines in my past three Oregon reports. Having had their ‘Arthur’ Chardonnay back ten plus years, the new release, the 2016 ‘Arthur’ Chardonnay (WWB, 93), is a gorgeous wine that combines wonderful minerality and brightness. This is a can’t miss buy. One of the great wines that I tried in my report was the the 2014 ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which is a bit tightly wound right now but shows an incredible range and purity of fruit alongside its earthy, terroir driven tones. This is one for the cellar. I also had the chance to try their new ‘Edition Limitee’ wines which were some of the best wines that I tried all year from Oregon, none more so than the scintillating 2015 Domaine Drouhin ‘Edition Limitee’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 95) which has an incredible seamless quality that gracefully glides through the mid-palate. Needless to say, Domaine Drouhin is producing some head-turning new wines. Learn more about this storied Oregon estate at http://www.domainedrouhin.com/ Here are the awesome new releases from Domaine Drouhin.
2016 Domaine Drouhin ‘Arthur’ Chardonnay- This gorgeous Chardonnay entices with bright pear and starfruit aromas with Pazzaz apple. The palate shows good weight and texture as bright kiwi, Pink Lady apple and Meyer lemon vanilla cream flavors impress. This is a simply outstanding effort by Domaine Drouhin. Drink 2018-2028- 93
2015 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir- Needing an hour in the decanter to be fully expresive, this starts off with a wonderful combination of dark and red fruits on the nose with earthy undertones. The palate has cran-pomegranate, orange rind and teaberry flavors with a touch of peat moss. Lithe, rich and delicious, this will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92
2014 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir- This lithe and mineral driven wine is another stunning wine made by the talented Veronique Boss-Drouhin. The 2014 ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir needs two hours in the decanter to slowly unveil itself. Once aroused it starts off with a bouquet of red cherry, rose petals and smoky tones. The sterling minerality really drives this wine. Black tea, white pepper, wild blackberry jelly and forest floor flavors beautifully mingle. Distinctly Dundee Hills, the terroir adds to the complexity of this thrilling Pinot Noir. Try to resist this wine for at least another year. Drink 2019-2035- 94
2016 Domaine Drouhin ‘Edition Limitee’ Chardonnay- The 2016 Domaine Drouhin ‘Edition Limitee’ Chardonnay is a jaw-dropping wine that shows a dazzling intensity and minerality. There is a stunning, seamless quality to this wine that shines as this glides through the mid-palate. Vanilla cream, Meyer lemon oil, wild mushroom and Gala apple flavors beautifully combine in the glass to create a mouth-watering effect. This outstanding Chardonnay will cellar well over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2018-2033- 94
2015 Domaine Drouhin ‘Edition Limitee’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Edition Limitee’ is a barrel selection that is a truly sensational wine by Domaine Drouhin that is truly one of the finest of its kind in the Willamette Valley. The nose is extremely seductive with spicy character and dark fruits with black truffle shining. The mouthfeel is stunning with a silky smooth throughout the mid-palate that glides and enchants. Black truffle, forest floor and citrus rind with red cherry candy flavors all marvelously combine. Complex and layered, this gorgeous bottling will cellar well for many years to come. Drink 2019-2040- 95