I love Oregon wineries with a storied history. It is hard to believe that it has been nearly twenty years since I first set foot at Domaine Serene. I fondly recall first tasting at Domaine Serene back in 2002. I have tasted many of their lineups over nearly twenty years and I am always impressed with the consistency of each wine. Domaine Serene wines are focused, having a beginning, middle and end. Texturally, these are consistently beautiful wines.
It was more than thirty years ago Domaine Serene was founded by Dundee Hills pioneers Grace and Ken Evenstad, One of the most beautiful wineries in the Pacific Northwest, Domaine Serene is an absolute must visit for any Oregon wine lover. I fondly recall my first visit to Domaine Serene in 2002 and was absolutely blown away not only with the sweeping views of the Willamette Valley but the stunning wines. I love how these wines age as well. Over the past few months I’ve tried Domaine Serene wines from the 2011, 2012 and 2014 vintages, all showing marvelously. Drink your 2011s now and the 2012 wines might even need a touch more time. The 2014 wines are right in their wheelhouse!
Before coming to Domaine Serene, I loved the wines that Michael Fay made at Goldeneye. I have admired the wines made by Michael Fay for quite some time, as he made some downright awesome wines for Goldeneye before being hired by Domaine Serene as head winemaker. Michael does a masterful job with crafting his Pinot Noirs which come from another warm vintage, 2018, that saw August heat spikes and then a cool fall. I adored the new 2018 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) is dense, and shows a wonderful core of dark fruits with great acidity. Even better was the sinfully good 2018 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 96) which is nowhere near its peak but shows incredible cellaring potential. The ’18 Grace will have decades of life ahead of it. I am quite honestly blown away with the consistency of the new lineup. Learn more about this famed Oregon estate at http://domaineserene.com/ Here are the incredible new release wines by Domaine Serene.
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Cote Sud’ Chardonnay- The gorgeous new ‘Cote Sud’ Chardonnay shows off brioche and lemon zest aromatics woven together with cardamom dusted Japanese pear tones that meld in the glass. The sense of weight and texture here is outstanding, as is the lift and wonderful mid-palate weight. The exceedingly long finish adds to the enjoyment, as this outstanding Chardonnay is best enjoyed over the next decade. Drink 2021-2033- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Etoile’ Chardonnay- The ‘Etoile Vineyard’ is set at roughly eight hundred feet, as this dry-farmed site is set on Jory soils. One whiff and you admire the volcanic terroir here with white pepper and a dusting of volcanic stones that deftly combine with ripe melon and pear tones on the nose. The palate is beautifully structured, focused, lively and juicy. Kiwi and pink grapefruit tones mingle with sourdough bread and baking spices on the palate. Showing great verve now, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2033- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Yamhill Cuvee’ Pinot Noir-The 2018 ‘Yamhill Cuvee’ shows plenty of bright red fruits with orange zest and salty undertones aromatically. The palate is ripe and juicy with bright red fruits and a forward, delicious approach with good minerals holding things up. Enjoy this good value over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-227- 91
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir is a barrel selection of vineyards throughout the Domaine Serene portfolio, the heady aromatics capture your attention with loganberry preserves, thyme, peat moss and suggestions of pomegranate seed and fennel that all sing in unison. The palate is big, broad-shouldered and loaded with bright red and dark fruits. With more air the tilled earth and salty tones enter the fray, with blood orange zest accents. The feeling of weight and bright acidity of this wine suggest some serious aging potential. Try to give this beautiful wine at least an hour of air if consuming now. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Cote Sud Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 Domine Serene ‘Cote Sud’ is an awesome new Pinot Noir by superstar winemaker Michael Fay. Sourced from a six acre vineyard set on a south-facing slope of the Evenstad Estate that ranges from 510 to 790 feet in elevation, the wine shows off pomegranate seed and guava tones alongside salted damp earth. And baking spices that all take shape in the glass. The palate is juicy and beautifully balanced, with a soft mouthfeel and great length. Laters of very pretty red fruits mingle with rose water, charcuterie and orange rind tones on the palate. This is gorgeous stuff to enjoy now, as the 2018 ‘Cote Sud’ will provide drinking enjoyment for the next fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Abbey Oaks Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Abbey Oaks is the lone property that Domaine Serene owns in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Set on Willakenzie soils, this is an earlier ripening site for Pinot Noir. Right away the wine shows a great combination of red and dark fruits that mingle with salty damp earth and peat moss aromatics. The palate is soft and beautifully textured with great length and a very pretty set of red fruits (think guava, pomegranate and Bing cherry). Full-bodied and delicious, this is great stuff to enjoy its youth, as the 2018 ‘Abbey Oaks’ will cellar well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Two Barns Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Two Barns Vineyard’ is one of the rare sites in the Dundee Hills that shares a combination of Jory and Willakenzie soils. Once on the nose this takes on layers of teaberry and cran-pomegranate, woven together with smoke, and pretty red florals that all meld in the glass. The palate shows off its silky, generous texture, with good length. Ripe red currants march on with red rose water, Mandarin orange zest and suggestions of iodine on the palate. Firm tannins hold everything in place. The combination of weight and bright acidity here makes this an awesome match for a juicy fillet. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Triple S Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Triple S Vineyard’ is set on Jory soils at approximately 450 feet in elevation, and is exclusively planted to clone 777 Pinot Noir. The dusting of volcanic earth catches your eye, with ripe red and dark fruits that mingle with damp earth aromatics. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a beautifully generous texture. Layers of pomegranate seed and wild blackberry cordial collide with minerals, damp earth and smoky undertones. Gorgeous in its youth, be sure to give this at least an hour of air if enjoying its nascent phase. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Members’ Limited Edition’ Pinot Noir- A first time bottling, the 2018 ‘Members’ Limited Edition’ is a tribute by Ken and Grace Evenstad to their wine club members. The wine drinks beautifully right out of the bottle and doesn’t need a decant to gain momentum. The color here is quite dark with ripe dark cherry and tobacco notes that mingle with shades of salty damp earth on the nose. The palate is generous and beautifully textured, with good length. Rich red and dark fruits parade with minerals, smoky and earthy. Undertones on the palate. With good length, this beautiful bottling will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2033- 93
2018 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Majestic, finesse-driven and jam-packed full of cellaring potential, the stunning 2018 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a gorgeous new wine that will live on for decades. The ‘Grace Vineyard’ is set on very deep Jory soils, as this wine and vineyard is named after Domaine Serene co-founder Grace Evenstad. Right away the wine shows beautiful red florals with cardamom, Bing cherry and pomegranate seed tones aromatically. The palate is dense, chewy and downright delicious. The wine greets you with a massive wall of red and dark fruits, with lovely balance, poise and focus. The combination of viscosity of verve and viscosity really drives this wine, as this scintillating new Pinot Noir bottling will be best enjoyed over the next decade — or more. Try to resist this for at least a year and if opening now, give it at least a three hour decant to develop its true grandeur. Drink 2022-2042- 96