Oregon vs Burgundy tasting at Domaine Drouhin.
On a recent trip to the Willamette Valley, Oregon’s prime wine-growing region, we had the opportunity to really delve into the connection between Oregon and Burgundy. We met with two winemakers from France, a sommelier from Oregon, several Oregon winemakers and did a comparative tasting of the two regions. The experience taught us a lot and of course was great fun as well.
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Paul Lato
From the numerous interviews we’ve done over the years, we’ve learned that the journey of a winemaker is rarely an easy one. Paul Lato definitely took the road less travelled and the challenges he faced almost forced him to give up pursuing his dream. Thankfully he persisted, and when you taste his wines you’ll be as grateful as we are that he did.
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Winemaker Matt Dees
As the winemaker behind Jonata, The Hilt and The Paring, Matt Dees’ reputation as a terrific winemaker easily precedes him. Meeting him and getting a glimpse behind Matt Dees, the person, quickly turned into a fascinating discussion that covered everything from vineyards and sedimentary rock, to Rock ‘n Roll and cellist Pablo Casals.
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Fall in the Vineyard at Stoller.
There’s something magical about being in a wine region when it’s time to harvest. The vines are plump with grapes ready to be picked while the canopy of leaves are changing from dark green to bright orange and red. In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the soil is just as vibrant ranging from yellowy-red silty clay to the distinctive dark red of Jory volcanic soil. If you’re lucky enough to be at Stoller Family Estate at the time, you’ll be hard-pressed to find more spectacular vineyard views.
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Guillaume Large
Oregon is now squarely on the radar of top winemakers from Burgundy. Domaine Drouhin Oregon started it all when Burgundian powerhouse Maison Joseph Drouhin acquired property in 1987 in the Willamette Valley and started producing wine. Since then, several big names in Burgundy have started or make wine at wineries in Oregon: Evening Land and Lingua Franca are both projects started with Dominique Lafond of Comtes Lafond; Isabelle Dutarte of Burgundy makes the wine at Oregon’s DePonte Cellars as well as running her own label Callabus Cellars, a project she shares with Domaine Drouhin’s Veronique Boss-Drouhin; and Bruno Corneaux who studied enology and viticulture at the University of Burgundy in Dijon with Veronique Boss-Drouhin has started Domaine Divio. In 2013 a big event happened when another Burgundian powerhouse, this time Maison Louis Jadot, purchased two vineyards in the Willamette Valley and created Résonance. On a recent trip to the Willamette we heard the Résonance story firsthand from its very talented winemaker, Guillaume Large.
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