Domaine Drouhin
History
Domaine Drouhin Oregon was founded in 1987 by Robert Drouhin, who leads the Maison Joseph Drouhin of Beaune, established in 1880. The connection with Oregon dates back to 1961, but the turning point came in 1980: during a tasting organized by Robert in Burgundy, a Pinot Noir from The Eyrie Vineyards ranked second, behind one of his Chambolle-Musigny. The family then purchased land on the Dundee Hills, which was then cultivated with Christmas trees and wheat, and opened the winery in 1989. Since the first harvest in 1988, Véronique Drouhin has signed each vintage, assisted in the vineyard by her brother Philippe: a Burgundian family in America, which in 2013 expanded the project with the Roserock estate in the Eola-Amity Hills.
Vineyard
The Domaine Drouhin Oregon estate spans about 95 hectares, of which over 55 are planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The rows run on slopes facing south and southeast, between 75 and 210 meters in altitude, on volcanic Jory soils born from the ancient basalt flows of the Columbia River. The Drouhins chose a dense Burgundian-style planting and French clones grafted onto rootstock, a decision that protected the vines when phylloxera reached Oregon in the early 1990s. The management is sustainable and certified L.I.V.E., while thinning and harvesting are done entirely by hand.
Wines
In the winery, Domaine Drouhin Oregon works by gravity on four levels, allowing grapes and musts to be moved with the utmost care. The fermentation of the reds lasts from seven to twelve days, with pigeage and remontage according to the tradition of Beaune; aging continues for 12-14 months in barrique made of French oak custom-built in Burgundy, with a limited proportion of new wood. The result is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that combine the generosity of Oregon fruit with the finesse and freshness of Burgundian style, reference labels of the Willamette Valley. The house motto sums it up well: French soul, Oregon soil.
rootstock, a decision that protected the vines when phylloxera reached Oregon in the early 1990s. The management is sustainable and certified L.I.V.E., while thinning and harvesting are done entirely by hand.Wines
In the winery, Domaine Drouhin Oregon works by gravity on four levels, allowing grapes and musts to be moved with the utmost care. The fermentation of the reds lasts from seven to twelve days, with pigeage and remontage according to the tradition of Beaune; aging continues for 12-14 months in barrique made of French oak custom-built in Burgundy, with a limited proportion of new wood. The result is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that combine the generosity of Oregon fruit with the finesse and freshness of Burgundian style, reference labels of the Willamette Valley. The house motto sums it up well: French soul, Oregon soil.
