History 

Why a Chardonnay at Domaine Drouhin Oregon ? For Robert Drouhin and his family, the "raison d’être" of  Domaine Drouhin Oregon has been Pinot Noir ; the exceptional soils and climate marry to produce wines of breed, grace and longevity. Still, being Burgundian in origin, the Domaine has always been tempted by that other grape of its patrimony, Chardonnay. Over several years, Robert and Véronique have quietly conducted many trials with small batches grown from the classic Burgundian clones to produce their first offering which, they feel, exemplifies the elegance possible in Oregon Chardonnay.

Vines and soil

Representing less than 10% of the planted surface, the six acres of our Chardonnay plantations are pinpointed in three small blocks selected specifically for their shallow soils. As with the estate’s Pinot Noir, the planting imitates the high-density Burgundian model with over 3000 vines per acre. The tight spacing encourages competition among the plants, yielding smaller clusters and berries and thus, more concentrated fruit. The first plantation took place in 1990, followed by others in 1992 and 1994 principally. 
 

Vinification

The grapes were hand-picked and put into small crates to protect the berries from being crushed in the field. After gentle pressing, the juice settled down for a couple of hours and was then transferred by gravity in oak barrels. New oak was held below 25% to preserve the character of the Chardonnay and Oregon typicity. 
 

Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay 1999

Harvest dates : from September 29th to October 20th. 

This 1999 is the fourth vintage of Chardonnay offered by Domaine Drouhin Oregon. The quantity remains very limited, as only a few acres of Chardonnay are in production.  The liquid gold we are getting out of these few acres is stunningly good year after year. 

For Chardonnay as well as for Pinot Noir, the perfect cohesion between the varietal, the soil and the climate of the Dundee Hills are to us of paramount importance. Our Chardonnay is from 100% Dijon clone vines on our estate (planting started in 1992).
A wine made with excellent Chardonnay grapes should offer elegance, complexity and subtlety. 

The 1999 Vintage in Oregon : a long dry summer resulting in a small crop with highly concentrated flavours. Grapes were perfectly ripe, healthy and delicious.

Harvest & Vinification : the grapes were hand-picked into small crates to protect the berries from being crushed in the field. After a gentle pressing, the juice was allowed to settle for a couple of hours and was then transferred by gravity into oak barrels. The alcoholic fermentation started naturally. The malolactic fermentation was completed later in the spring. The wine has no residual sugar. 

Tasting Notes : brilliant and luminous colour. Intense and lovely aromatic nose. Bright fruit and hazelnut flavours. Rich, full-bodied, ample on the palate. Good acidity and a very long, complex finish. Beautiful to drink now.
 

Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay 1998

Harvest dates : from October 1st to October 13th. 

This wine is the third Chardonnay offered by Domaine Drouhin Oregon. This year again, the quantity is minuscule : barely 800 cases. There is a good reason why production is so limited. The estate is principally devoted to Pinot Noir and there are only a few acres of Chardonnay. Since we strive to make a Chardonnay with elegance, complexity and subtlety, our main concern was to carefully select each vine at the time of planting. For Chardonnay as well as for Pinot Noir, the perfect cohesion between the varietal, the soil and the climate of the Dundee Hills are to us of paramount importance. 

The 1998 vintage in Oregon : magnificent for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The grapes were superb, ripe and delicious to eat! 

Tasting notes : we now have an idea of what the Chardonnay 1998 is like. The wine has a pretty golden hue. With its fragrant, floral notes, the nose reveals a beautiful ripeness. On the palate, the first impression is of a generous and ample wine where a hazelnut flavor pervades with some discreet and fine woody touches in the background. Beautiful balance. Long and subtle in the aftertaste. It is already delicious to drink but should reach full maturity in 2002. 

One little anecdote : I kept an already opened bottle in my refrigerator. When I drank some of it a week later, it was absolutely delicious still. I can't think of a better test to gauge the quality and longevity of a wine ! 
 

Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay 1997

Harvest dates : from September 25^th to October 2^nd. 

Luminous gold colour ; the nose is pure with delicate fruity aromas such as pear, peach and apricot. It is not overwhelmed with oak and has a very good balance. On the palate, the wine is subtle, long with an elegant finish. Should develop well over the next two or three years. 
 

Véronique DROUHIN 

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