It is my pleasure to share one of the bright stars of Oregon. Founded back in in the 1980s, the Domaine Drouhin Oregon 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 serve as 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 visited the winery several times last year and am always blown away with the sweeping views of the valley. Domaine Drouhin Oregon has been one of my favorite stops since I first visited the Willamette Valley in 2002. My uncle, Dr. Brian Lueth, first introduced me to this estate, with some epic ‘Laurene’ bottling from the 1990s and early 2000s. Needless to say, quality has remained very high at this famed Oregon estate.
Last week I had a glorious visit to the estate on a warm spring day. I was so impressed with the overall quality in the wines. Overall these brought great finesse with a darker fruit profile than many other vintages, capturing the heat of 2018 but showing a good acid backbone. These are big wines meant to age. I adored the 2018 Domaine Drouhin Oregon ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which really needs a bit more time in the bottle but shows immense aging potential. I adored the 2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which shows excellent value and is dense and chewy — really benefiting from some air right now. Learn more about this iconic Oregon winery at http://www.domainedrouhin.com/ Here are the awesome new releases from Domaine Drouhin Oregon.
2019 Domaine Drouhin ‘Arthur’ Chardonnay- The 2019 ‘Arthur’ saw roughly 15% new oak and this was the first vintage where the entire wine went through malolactic fermentation. Green apple and tangerine peel with stony tones fill the nose. The palate shows off a silky mouthfeel with a grpeatsense of texture. Layers of buttercream and papaya alongside melon and stony undertones all collide on the palate. Drink 2021-2028- 92
2018 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay- The 2018 Roserock Chardonnay shows a vibrant sense of salinity with pear and green apple tones alongside baking spices and sourdough bread. Nicely textured and showing a soft mouthfeel, this gorgeous effort will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2021-2029- 93
2019 Domaine Drouhin ‘Edition Limitee’ Chardonnay- The 2019 ‘Edition Limitee’ is a stunning new wine that has incredible density and finesse. On the nose this takes on pear and baking spices alongside buttered brioche and banana tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is dense and plush with a soft texture. This shows a weightless quality that makes this effortlessly glide across the mid-palate. With incredible verve and finesse, this outstanding effort will cellar well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2021-2036- 95
2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Maigold’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘Marigold’ Chardonnay shows flinty undertones on the nose with Japanese pear and kumquat tones. The palate is silky and elegant with a big sense of mouthfeel. Layers of sourdough bread and lemon zest collide with minerals and smoky undertones. This concentrated and dense Chardonnay has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2021-2035- 94
2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir is a stunning effort from this famed estate. Once on the nose this unveils teaberry and orange rind alongside smoke and black tea on the nose. The palate is silky and elegant with a seamless texture. Ripe dark currants collide with wild blackberry, black tea and red raspberry cordial on the palate. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2019 Domaine Drouhin ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir is fresh and pretty effort that is showing brilliantly right now. The palate shows a soft mouthfeel with good elegant and a core of red currant, red cherry and red raspberry flavors alongside silty terroir and a light dusting of salinity. Drink 2021-2031- 92
2019 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir- The 2019 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir shows brilliantly even in its youth. Rich red fruits mingle with smoke and lavender accents on the palate. This finishes long, as this great new Pinot Noir will cellar well for another decade. Drink 2021-2031- 92
2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Laurene’ is a blockbuster effort that will be released in July 2021. The nose is beautifully evolved with black florals and baking spices alongside shades of black tea and blackberry compote. Silky tannins line the line of silky red and dark fruits with tobacco and tilled salty soils on the palate. This is just an infant but is utterly sensational to enjoy right now. Drink 2021-2040- 95
2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Zephirine’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Zephrine’ is a stunning new wine from this estate. Teaberry and red rose petals angle with orange rind and mulberry on the nose. The palate is silky and elegant with a seamless texture. Layers of ripe red and dark fruits mingle with minerals, smoke and tobacco leaf on the palate. Drink 2021-2038- 94
2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Edition Limitee’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Edition Limitee’ Pinot Noir is one of the great wines made this vintage. Cran-orange, teaberry and herbal undertones all mark the nose with shades of peat moss all fill the nose. The palate is seamless and elegant with a gorgeous sense of mouthfeel and texture. Layers of pretty red and dark fruits mingle with minerals, smoke, and menthol undertones on the palate. Drink 2021-2040- 95
2018 Domaine Drouhin ‘Cuvee Louise’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Cuvee Louise’ is a dense and polished effort from 2018. This shows more of a hedonistic edge than the other bottlings, with ripe dark fruits that combine with smoke, damp soils and black truffle on the palate. This shows off incredible length and finesse as this beautiful wine will cellar well for another twenty years. Drink 2021-2039- 94