Domaine Drouhin – Willamette Valley

Oregon is still a very young wine region in comparison with France, but it has huge quality potential, and is home to a host of small, quality-obsessed wineries producing true “terroir” wines.

Domaine Drouhin have been producing Burgundy-style wines from their beautiful vineyards planted between 400-800 metres altitude in the Dundee Hills, just to the Southwest of Portland, Oregon since 1988. This area is around 800kms north of Napa valley and therefore considerably cooler and wetter in most vintages. And whereas Napa is Cabernet country, the Willamette Valley is the land of Pinot Noir – fresh, fruity and elegant – a stepping stone between French reserve, style and finesse and Californian fruit exuberance and easy-going drinkability.