The kind folks at Domaine Drouhin hosted me for one of the best wine tasting experiences I’ve encountered during one of my recent trips west.

About Domaine Drouhin

The Drouhin family has had deep roots in winemaking having taken hold in Burgundy’s top vineyards over a century ago.

The Domaine Drouhin Oregon estate was founded in the late 1980s when fourth generation of Drouhins, namely Véronique Drouhin, came to Oregon’s Willamette Valley after receiving a masters diploma in enology. In 1987, Véronique was named the new Domaine Drouhin Oregon winemaker and the winery has been producing award-wining wines since.

About The French Soul, Oregon Soil: The Drouhin Experience Tour and Comparative Tasting

This was a very special tasting comparing the stellar Burgundy wines of Joseph Drouhin against the outstanding Domaine Drouhin Oregon wines.

Our group of five was guided by Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Madeleine Todd, through the four-story gravity flow winery. Madeleine focused on what makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon and Burgundy similar, yet so clearly different. Following the tour, our group sat at a communal table and was led through a comparative tasting of five wines paired with a selection of fine cheeses. 

The 60-75 minute tasting is $40 per person and is offered at 10:00am every day except Wednesday. Reservations are required for this fascinating experience.

About the Wines

124 acres of Domaine Drouhin Oregon’s 225 acres are under vine and are certified sustainable by L.I.V.E. The family’s distinct approach to winemaking, and long experience with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, have earned an international reputation for consistent excellence. Here are the wines we sampled:

2015 Drouhin Oregon Roserock Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills ($35) – light, crisp, fresh wine with aromas of flowers and juicy melon. Lovely round mouthfeel with citrus and peach flavors ending with a little nuttiness. Amazing minerality for perfect food friendliness.

2015 Chablis Mont de Milieu Premier Cru ($42) – big, rich, mouth-coating delicious wine. Bright yellow in the glass with floral and citrus aromas. Beautifully structured, elegant wine.

2015 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur, Dundee Hills ($35) – soft peach aromas followed more peach on the palate and ending with great acidity on a long finish.

2015 Joseph Drouhin Aloxe Corton ($58) – lovely bright red in the glass with big fruit on the nose and spiced notes. Rich, deep fruit flavors with a long finish.

2015 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Dundee Hills ($45) – love that we see this wine on the east coast. Big, ripe berry and fruit aromas that continue on the palate. Big round mouthfeel with a medium tannins and a little pepper on the finish. Like the style of Pinot, a lot.

2015 Drouhin Oregon Roserock Pinot Noir Zepherine, Eola-Amity Hills ($60) – deep ruby in the glass, this Pinot was my favorite in the lineup. Fresh berry aromas with notes of chocolate and vanilla. Difficult to stop sniffing to take a taste, but, oh, so worth it. Big juicy, ripe berry/cherry flavors with mocha notes. Velvet mouthfeel and a long finish on this young wine that will only get better with a few years in the cellar.

2014 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène, Dundee Hills ($70) – lovely red fruit and pumpkin pie spice aromas. On the palate, there is dark, ripe cherry with some red berry flavors. Pretty wine with light tannins and a long finish.

Domaine Drouhin Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Madeleine Todd, offered such great content and details about the Drouhin family history, the winery and the wines. She made my experience very memorable and I appreciated her knowledge and passion for Oregon wines and Drouhin in general.

Domaine Drouhin – www.domainedrouhin.com  6750 NE Breyman Orchards Rd, Dayton, OR 97114.

Cheers,

Veronique