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 Vintage1994 Label 1 of 444 
TypeRed
ProducerDomaine Drouhin Oregon (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
Vineyardn/a
CountryUSA
RegionOregon
SubRegionWillamette Valley
AppellationWillamette Valley

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 1998 and 2005 (based on 4 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 88.2 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 7 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by jlgnml on 10/6/2017 & rated 90 points: Great color, aged, good flavor, good palate feel, enjoyable. (2357 views)
 Tasted by mzimberg on 10/7/2012 flawed bottle: A failed experiment. This was in the $25 bargin bin at Zachys a few months ago. The cork crumbled and I wasn't expecting much, and didn't get much. Shows the unpleasant wet cardboard flavors from when Oregon pinot doesn't work. Possibly a cork issue, but not drinkable. No Grade. (4910 views)
 Tasted by arthrovine on 9/14/2011 & rated 89 points: A Celebration Amongst Friends (Portland, Oregon): From magnum. Beautiful nose of must, barnyard, forest, red berry, plum. Palate showed less fruit - had leather, funky mushroom, astringency. Finish was short. Did not improve with air. The next day, it was gone. A 1995 Laurene consumed previously smoked this. (5942 views)
 Tasted by Mark on 4/30/2009 & rated 80 points: As I feared, this wine is done and over. I tried it from open until three hours in, no fruit, and not an all together pleasant experience. The 93 was tasting very well a few years back, but not the 94. (5867 views)
 Tasted by johnwine on 1/1/2006 & rated 86 points: This was a delightful Pinot tonight for our New Years Dinner celebration. The nose was permeated with scents of dark berries and cherries. The taste was full of jammy dark fruit mixed with earthy tones and some spice. Somehow the taste did not quite hold together. Well, this wine is very nice but not great. (5436 views)
 Tasted by DhirenF on 6/8/2005 & rated 93 points: Dinner at Sostanza in Seattle - Wow this was a real treat well worth the wait, everything written about this being on the downside of the curve did not fit at all. We let it sit for about 30 min, lots of fruit and a hint of clove, rich and a long finish, really wonderful. (6739 views)

Professional 'Channels'
By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (4/8/2022)
(Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Dundee Hills, United States) Subscribe to see review text.
By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (7/24/2009)
(Dom Drouhin Pinot Noir Oregon Red) Subscribe to see review text.
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JamesSuckling.com and JancisRobinson.com. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Producer website

Domaine Drouhin has been on the viticultural cutting edge in Oregon since their first vintage in 1988, and continues to set the pace.

Winemaker Véronique Drouhin-Boss' roots go deep into her family's 13th century cellars under the streets of Beaune, the heart of Burgundy. She represents the fourth generation of winemakers from this venerable wine family of France, but it is here in Oregon that her skills and passion are bringing forth some of the most sublime Pinot Noir and Chardonnay produced anywhere. With centuries of Burgundian winemaking experience flowing through her blood, Véronique has lovingly crafted every drop of wine produced at Domaine Drouhin Oregon since the first vintage in 1988.

Véronique Boss-Drouhin

Our winemaker extraordinaire produces elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on both sides of the Atlantic.

Véronique Drouhin-Boss, the fourth-generation winemaker of the Drouhin family, has lovingly crafted every drop of wine produced at Domaine Drouhin Oregon since our first vintage in 1988. She also now oversees the winemaking at Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy, producing some of the world's finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines on both sides of the Atlantic.

Véronique's interest in wine and the family business began when she was young, and blossomed under the tutelage of father Robert Drouhin. In 1986, she graduated from the University of Dijon with an advanced degree in enology, and decided to venture to Oregon to expand her experience and learn more about the fledgling industry that was beginning to take root in the Willamette Valley. Véronique interned that year with Adelsheim Vineyards, Bethel Heights, and Eyrie. She has returned to Oregon every year since then to capture the essence of what nature provides in our unique estate vineyards.

In many ways, Véronique embodies the essence of Pinot Noir -- spirited, graceful, and feminine. Her wines at Domaine Drouhin have always been hallmarked by elegance, finesse, purity, and the capacity to improve gracefully with age.

Pinot Noir

Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.


Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.

Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.

The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.

Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.

With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.

Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.

USA

American wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

Oregon

Oregon Wine, Oregon Wineries (Oregon Wine Board)

Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley (Oregon Wine Board)
On weinlagen-info including some single vineyards

Willamette Valley Vintage Reviews

Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley Wineries Association | Willamette Valley AVA Wikipedia article

#2012 vintage:
"Broadly speaking, the Willamette Valley's 2012 pinots are fleshy and fruit-dominated, with round tannins and forward personalities. The fruit tends to the darker side of the pinot spectrum--think cherry and blackberry rather than strawberry and raspberry, much less cranberry and redcurrant--and this gives the wines massive crowd appeal. The best wines also have the depth to age, so don't be fooled by their accessible nature in the early going." - Josh Raynolds

#2013 vintage:
"The key to a successful foray into the ‘13s is first to understand that in most instances the wines lean to the red fruit side of Pinot Noir; they tend to be tangy and tightly wound but often lack concentration. While some wines may put on weight and gain sweetness with bottle age, that’s a gamble I’ll personally leave to others. The 2013s also tend to lack the tannic structure for more than mid-term aging although they will likely endure on their acidity, which I suspect will usually outlast the fruit in this vintage" - Josh Raynolds

#2014 vintage:
"The 2014 vintage in Oregon may be remembered as the vintage of a lifetime [for growers] . . . these wines as they will be similar to the 2009 vintage . . . lovely, ripe, rich, deeply concentrated and aromatic" - winebusiness.com
"The conditions made it relatively easy to make good wines, with no worries about achieving ripeness, and the lack of frost risk allowed us to keep grapes on the vine as long as we wished." - Casey McClellan

 
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