Today I share my thoughts on the outstanding 2008 wines by Domaine Serene. Of course this house is not needing any introduction, taking the Oregon wine scene by storm since its inception. Domaine Serene is truly one of the great wine houses of Oregon. The consistency has been key as their lineup time and time again impresses despite challenges that vintages present. Examples are making great wines in 2011, 2013 and making wines with great flavor density in 2019.
Current winemaker Michael Fay, formerly with Goldeneye, makes some amazing wines since coming to the winery back in 2017. He follows greats in Oregon, Tony Rynders and Erik Kramer. The 2008 vintage was an illustrious one in Oregon. The thing I recall most about these wines is they needed time in the bottle to fully evolve. 2008 had a cool spring and warm fall with moderate temperatures at harvest. This was a departure from the really challenging 2007 vintage. I recently had the chance to revisit the stunning 2008 wines by Domaine Serene. I was amazed how the 2008 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) had held. This wine still has another eight years in front of it. Arguably the finest wine I tasted was the ethereal 2008 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 98) which has to be one of the greats from this vintage. Dense, round and generous, with a crazy long finish. Learn more about these famed wines at domaineserene.com and here is my feature on the beautiful 2008 Pinot Noirs by Domaine Serene.
2008 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The dense and heady 2008 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir was stored for 17 months in 70% new French oak before bottling. Ripe cranberry and red cherry notes fill the nose alongside orange peel and rocky soil accents. The palate is soft, refined and very elegant, as this is slowly moving into beautiful black truffle and black olive tertiary notes. Enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 95
2008 Domaine Serene ‘Winery Hill’ Pinot Noir- A sensational wine from a great vintage, the 2008 ‘Winery Hill‘ comes from this steep hillside vineyard set on Jory soils that neighbors the winery. It is filled with lush strawberry, red raspberry and Yakima cherry fruit flavors that mingle well with salty and stony soils on the palate. Rich and polished, with a seamless texture, this is one of the great ‘Winery Hill’ bottlings that I can remember. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2032- 96
2008 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The brilliant 2008 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a wine that is finally coming into its own after more than a decade of bottle age. Sourced from this site planted in the early 1990s, the wine was stored in mainly new French oak before bottling. Showing a translucent core in the glass, this opens with beautiful red rose petals, rich red fruits and salty soils on the nose. The palate is refined and elegant with a seamless texture and great sense of weight. The length of this wine is astonishingly good. Showing plenty of stuffing and flavor density, this still has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2036- 98
2008 Domaine Serene ‘Monogram’ Pinot Noir- An iconic wine made from this outstanding vintage, the 2008 Domaine Serene ‘Monogram’ Pinot Noir is a barrel selection wine that was originally devised by the late Ken Evenstad to be the flagship wine at this house. The wine is a total knockout in terms of red and black fruit flavors, showing dusty soils, tar, anise, black currants, red cherry and hints of cola on the palate. Showing serious weight, enjoy this stunning wine now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2044- 98