As we tasted in the heat of summer, it had been a beautiful time running through the latest new lineup of Domaine Serene wines. Domaine Serene Director of Winemaking Michael Fay and I both had brought some blind wines to taste and I was eager to see what was behind the bag. We sat in the summer sun and uncorked several special bottles. I was pretty close to the pin on this one.
We looked out at the Mark Bradford Vineyard which is named after Domaine Serene proprietors Grace and Ken Evenstads’ son. This high-elevation location is set on the west-facing slope of the Evenstad Estate. This was the first vineyard planted at Domaine Serene and is always one of the biggest wines made. The wine I tasted was from the 2010 vintage. I was pretty close with my guess, thinking it might be a 2012 which are generally more reticent, well-structured wines. 2010 came between a warm vintage (2009) and an exceedingly cool vintage (2011). The vintage was very classic in nature with wines that had serious acidity and needed time to come around. 2010 had cumulative growing degree day (GrDD) values for that tracked slightly down from 2008. The wines are certainly known for their tension and aging potential.
This beautiful bottling was amongst the finest that I had tasted from this vintage. The 2010 ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 97) is ripe, round and generous with dazzling acidity and a smooth mouthfeel. It still has a long way to go in the cellar! Learn more at domaineserene.com and here is my review of the incredible 2010 ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir by Domaine Serene.
2010 Domaine Serene ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Tasted twice from separate sittings and bottles, the 2010 ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir offers nothing short of insanely good concentration and flavor range now at the fourteen year mark. Tasted upon release, this was quite backwards and reticent, really needing a lot of bottle age to get going — which is truly the case from any wine from this site. Loganberry preserves, fresh strawberries, Bing cherry, dusty soils and white truffle shavings all fill the palate, creating intense aromatics, with high-toned red florals and Satsuma orange zest. A complete wine, this will surely satisfy any lover of top-class Oregon Pinot Noir. Enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 97