(Domaine Drouhin & Eyrie) Hey Turkey! Follow Me To The Willamette Valley!- Part 2

The second half of the day brought two of the great names in Oregon wine. There was a tour at Domaine Drouhin, and then a stop in Mcminnville at Eyrie.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Throughout the 70's and 80's, Robert Drouhin of Burgundy's famed Domaine Drouhin, developed an appreciation and love for the terroir of the Willamette Valley. Participating in, and sponsoring tastings in France that helped to showcase Oregon Pinot Noir in comparison to its Burgundian brethren. In the late 1980's, Domaine Drouhin Oregon was born. Robert's daughter Véronique was tapped to make world class Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. The attention of a world class vintner from Burgundy became another feather in the cap of Oregon wine.

Located in the southeast of the Dundee Hills AVA; Domaine Drouhin is a state of the art, gravity flow winery. Its regal, hilltop location overlooks an expanse of 225 acres, including 95 acres of vineyards. The view from the winery is epic; expanding past the vineyards, out over the valley, and toward Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood. The winery is stately and traditional in feel & decor, but fits in well with the aesthetic and feel of the Northwest.

While our tour was looking out over the vineyards, the recorded sound of squealing pigs moaned in the background. Meant to scare off deer looking for the sweet fruit, our guide joked that it may have reached the point of diminishing returns. Drouhin's vineyards are among the most densely planted in the US, with over 3,300 plants per acre. With site specificity in mind, Drouhin cultivates their own rootstock and propagates their own plant materials. The vineyards are sustainably farmed, and yields are very low at around 1 ton per acre.

I asked if Véronique had divided the vineyard into separate lots or blocks for designated bottlings, and was told that she was still waiting for the 20+ year old vineyard to mature before making such designations. Currently, reserve bottlings come from designated fruit as opposed to designated lots. Intuitively, these are wines made in old-world traditions to be refined in style. Uninoculated fermentation, minimal handling, and judicious use of new oak are common.

Our tour headed inside and lasted throughout the winery, stopping to converse with cellar workers along the way. We were treated with a sample of the stainless steel portion of the 2009 Chardonnay, still in tank and yet to be filtered or fined. It was rich and crisp with a beautiful toastiness from the lees. Finally, we headed back upstairs for a seated tasting with fine cheeses and vineyard views. Wines aside, this was an exceptional tour and winery experience. Kudos to Terrie for her hospitality.

The Wines-

~2009 Pinot Noir Rosé, Dundee Hills- Natural yeast fermentation. Saignée method of extraction. Aged 6 months in stainless steel. Vibrant with lush cherry, apple, and melon flavors that are accented with mineral and honey. A beautiful rosé---very good---$20.

~2008 Chardonnay "Arthur", Dundee Hills- Dijon clones. 50% fermented in barrel (20% new), and 50% fermented in stainless steel. Aged 8 months and blended. Light gold. Notes of mineral, green apple, pear, and lilac flowers- with ripe melon, pear, and apple flavors highlighted with floral and light spice. Crisp yet rich, a beautiful wine---excellent---$30.

~2007 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Native yeast fermentation. Aged in 20% new French oak. A garnet color with medium to light density. Earthy on the nose- with mushroom, cedar closet, and tobacco highlighted with subtle notes of candied cherry. Very balanced flavors with great depth- mineral, cherry, cranberry, and earth. Lithe and luxurious with hints of pepper on the tannins, all culminating in a long finish. Poetic---excellent---$40.

~2006 Laurene Cuvée, Dundee Hills- Native yeast fermentation. Never more than 20% new French oak. Barrel selected. Slightly darker color. Aromas of tangy cherry, wet forest floor, and mossy earth- with further notes on the palate of caramel, cherry, vanilla, and earthy spice. Long finish. I'm smitten---excellent---$65.

~2004 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Similar methods as 2007 WV Pinot. A little more brown and brick color. Medium density. Red fruit, caramel, and mossy earth- with flavors of cherry & cranberry, along with traces of floral and mineral notes. All layed out long with spicy tannins and silky fruit on the finish---excellent---$?

~2002 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley- Similar methods as the other WV Pinot's. A softer brick color. Leafy cherry tobacco aromas with cedar and spice. Bold fruit on the palate, earthy with subtle spice and traces of cedar. Seamlessly balanced. Silky and spicy in its structure and finish. Epic---stellar---$?


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The Eyrie Vineyards

The history is Eyrie is well-writted. In 1965 David Lett moved north to Oregon to plant the first Pinot Noir & Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley; as well as the first Pinot Gris in the US. His Pinot Noir went toe to toe with the finest Burgundy in high profile tastings throughout the 1970's. His work led the way for players like the aforementioned Drouhin family to put down roots in the Willamette Valley. Today, Jason Lett carries on the tradition of excellence at Eyrie.

While Eyrie's estate vineyards are all located in the Dundee Hills AVA, the modest winery and tasting room are in downtown Mcminnville. Jacques, our host in the tasting room, explained that in such early stages of Oregon's wine evolution, the banks would not loan money to the Letts to build a winery in the hills. As a result, the winery has always been located inauspiciously in the town. Jacques was a great host and it truly was a pleasure to taste through the wines.

The Wines-

~2007 Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills- Orange, Juicy Fruit gum, stone fruit- with very pleasant spice---Very Good---$14.

~2008 Original Vines Reserve Chardonnay, Dundee Hills- Selected from old vines. Aromas of toast, stone and tropical fruits come alive on the palate and are melded with pleasant spice---Very Good to Excellent---$45.

~2007 Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Pleasantly light in color; with aromas of cranberry, cinnamon, and violets. Deepens on the palate with black cherry, pepper, and fruit cake- with silk and spice in the structure---Very Good---$30.

~2008 Black Cap Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Rich style. Aromas of maple, caramel, black cherry, and plum- tightly wound. The palate holds silky spicy red and blue fruit and minerals all solidly structured---Very Good to Excellent---$45.

~2006 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Earthy, gamey, musky, and feminine on the nose. Opens up to spice, rich red fruit, and earth on the palate. Lithe and silky throughout with solid structure---Excellent---$60.

~2005 Reserve Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills- Lighter. Still earthy, but with vanilla and white pepper along with its red fruits. Candied red fruit flavors, cola, spice, and pepper- all silky and lush---Very Good---$60.

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We capped off a great day of tasting with a dinner at the McMenamins' Kennedy School in Portland. Then it was time to hit the road for Walla Walla, WA and the Wine Bloggers Conference. It was a dusk drive into the Columbia Gorge and beyond. More on wines from Walla Walla and Red Mountain in the coming posts... Cheers!

Columbia Gorge at dusk

All Willamette Valley photos here-