Willamette Valley Vineyards and Domaine Willamette

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Harvest is in full-freakin-gear all over the place. I love seeing all the pictures and how the 2022 vintage turns out to be a vintage that turned itself around to become spectacular! I cannot wait to see how these wines taste in 18+ months!

The International Wine Report released the sixth volume of their Oregon Wine Report. Be sure to find your favorite winery to see how they scored. There were some shoutouts I enjoyed:

• Winery of the Year - Cristom
• Boutique Winery of the Year - Hazelfern
• Sparkling Program of the Year - Lytle Barnett
• Winemaker of the Year - Maggie Harrison of Antica Tera
• Winery to Watch - Hundred Suns
• Winemaker to Watch - Seth Long of Morgen Long
• Most Beautiful Wineries with Great Wine - Alexana, Domaine Serene, Resonance, White Rose, and Open Claim

The Robb Report did an article on wines that pair with lobster. On the list was the 2018 Gran Moraine Yamhill Carlton Chardonnay!

In Walla Walla, there is a new winery from NFL player Sidney Rice called Dossier. Their first release includes a Rose, Sauv Blanc, and a Syrah.

A little while back, I mentioned Chateau Ste. Michelle buying A to Z Wineworks and Rex Hill. On the coattails of that announcement, David Dearie resigns, bringing about restructuring for the brand.

Did you know there was a Pinot Fest in Palm Springs? Neither did I. On January 27th and 28th, the 3rd Annual Palm Springs Pinot Fest is happening. I wonder if the birthday couple from Hazelfern will attend and celebrate in Palm Springs next year?

Mark your calendars for March 9-12 and plan to be in Seattle for Taste Washington. There will be over 250 wineries and lots of events to take in!

In October, Alit is doing Food Truck Fridays from 1:00 - 7:00. October 7 is Taste of the World, October 14 is Neely’s Food Truck, and October 21 is We Be Cheesin.

Karen MacNeil is coming to Abbey Road Farm for a release party for the 3rd Edition of the Wine Bible. There will be a Sparkling reception and wines from Adelsheim Vineyard, Bergström, Brittan Vineyards, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Gran Moraine, Soter Vineyard, and Zena Crown Vineyard. I am seriously giving thought to attending. So let me know if you are going! Oh, and you also get a signed version of the book.

I am sure you have noticed Oregon Wine's increased attention in the press. Larger companies are inevitably coming in to buy existing wineries or start their ventures. It also means some existing wineries desire a more prominent presence in Oregon Wine Country. One of those wineries is Willamette Valley Vineyards.

I remember seeking WVV labels early on in my Oregon Wine journey. There was one bottle of Riesling I drank during a camping trip I will never ever forget. Other times, I bought cases at Costco because I liked it, and the price was right even when some people told me I was buying the expensive stuff at $15/bottle.

Around this time, I also tried to become a member through their website, which never happened for some reason. However, I did end up on their mailing list. One day, way back when, I got a letter talking about buying stock. I was incredibly tempted but didn’t buy any. My experience with trying to become a club member and the whole scammy feel of the letter didn’t feel right.

Last summer, several years later, I got another email about buying stock options again. It was impressive. I caved in and bought some stock. I am not saying you should buy stock or not buy stock. If you are curious and want more info, here’s a link.

The new facilities I remember in the email include a wine bar in Lake Oswego, Vancouver, and Happy Valley. I have been to the LO location. It’s friendly and upscale. I have yet to check out the Vancouver and Happy Valley locations. The most exciting new facility for me was the Sparkling facility off of 99 past Dundee if you are coming from Newberg. Truth be told, if it weren’t for the Sparkling facility, I wouldn’t have bought stock.

Over Labor Day weekend, the Sparkling facility opened up for those who bought stock, aka Owners. When I saw the email, I noticed nothing on the calendar, and I immediately made my reservation! If you haven’t guessed already, this week’s newsletter is about the Sparkling facility better known now as Domaine Willamette.

Driving up to the building, it is gorgeous! The doors to the entrance are beyond massive and semi-heavy. The number of people partaking in the Grand Opening Labor Weekend was impressive and a little overwhelming to me. However, everything ran like clockwork throughout the visit and went off without a hitch!

After checking in, the first pour was the 2018 Domaine Willamette Brut, and please don’t ask me, “How was the Sparkling?” There was so much to take in and see. The wine took a back seat at first. As you can see from the picture below, the main room has a lot of seating, along with some private tasting rooms off to the side. Some doors led outside. I had to take a quick peek, and wow, it was also lovely, with tons of seating for rain or sun.

I wanted to wonder more, but my Sparkling was gone. It was time to move on to the next pour downstairs in the Starry Sky Room. They set it up in intervals allowing people to watch a video with stars shooting overhead. I focused on the 2018 Elton Chardonnay and the mushroom bites over the movie. Looking around, I didn’t see anyone else watching the video either.

A person was talking about the Elton vineyard, and this was the last vintage Isabelle Meunier made the Elton for WVV. The guide continued to talk about Isabelle at Lavinea and how they also made an Elton. I didn’t know one bit of info: the owner of Elton, Betty, was passing ownership of the vineyard to WVV. I got a little nervous, so afterward, I asked, “Does this mean Lavinea will not get fruit from the Elton vineyard?” The guide looked at me and said, “I don’t know. I hope they continue to get fruit, but I don’t know.”

Being the nosy person I am, I sent Greg at Lavinea a message saying I heard about the ownership of Elton going to WVV and asked if they were still going to get fruit. He responded super graciously, saying, “WVV pretty much control the vineyard, and the contract for fruit is with them.” So, for those who enjoy Lavinea’s Elton, we should be ok for a little while!

Next up was some 2018 Domaine Willamette Brut Rose while walking through their Sparkling caves, hallway, through fare, something underground where Sparkling was resting in bottles along with some riddling racks. It was awesome seeing all the bottles meticiulously stacked. At first, I thought maybe they were shiners (empty bottles), and when I picked one up, I was pleasantly surprised to feel the weight of an entire bottle of wine.

Walking outside from the caves, there is immaculate landscaping, a small waterfall, and a breathtaking view! You can see cars passing by on 99 if you pay attention, and it does not feel like you are just off the highway. It’s genuinely stunning, even though I might be partial to sunny Oregon summer days.

Next up on the list was the 2016 Elton Self-Rooted Pinot Noir. I might have gotten two or three pours of this wine while sitting outside and taking in the view. Labor Day Weekend this year was fan-freakin-tastic weather-wise. I walked to a little house next to the tasting room/winery and peeked in the window, not expecting to see anyone, but it was none other than Jim Bernau taking a break from the festivities. If it’s possible to wave a sorry, that’s what I did and quickly scooted along, giving Jim his space.

The final two pours of the day were back inside. The 2017 Pambrun Chrysolue was poured in another room off the main room. I could easily see myself sitting at a table in this room, watching the rain come down through huge windows while working on the newsletter. It is a glorious room!

The Chrysolue is a blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Merlot. I don’t have the ratios, and I can’t find anything on the website. While I was on the website there is quite some history with Pierre Chrysologue Pambrun and Jim Bernau being the 4th great-grandson. The vineyard is located on the Oregon side of Walla Walla.

The last wine was the 2016 Pambrun Cab Sauv. I ducked into one of the private rooms off the main room and closed the door. The noise level was next to nothing in the intimate tasting room, with everyone coming and going. Even in the main room, the noise level wasn’t bad. Sometimes you get into big open places with a bunch of people, and you almost shout for the other person to hear you. It was great to speak at average volumes while enjoying the Cab Sauvignon!

My time at Domaine Willamette was coming to a close. For me, there are 1,024 different variables to process. Hands down, it is a stunningly gorgeous facility! As I mentioned, I could easily see myself drinking wine, watching the rain come down while working on the newsletter, and enjoying the experience. The seating capacity is out of this world. In some respects, I felt I was at Aulani in Hawaii. Let me rephrase. The vibe I get from Aulani is a lovely resort designed to move people in and out very efficiently. I did not get the sense I was in Hawaii while at Domaine Willamette. Although, if there were an Oregon Wine collective tasting room in Hawaii, that would be pretty freaking awesome!

My desire is for something more, though. I seek a deeper connection with the wine and people. I prefer sitting with an owner or winemaker who drives you around in their gator to experience the different microclimates on the property, followed by tasting the wines. Some people have no interest in exploring vineyards, while others do. No matter your preference, I think it is well worth the time and money to visit Domaine Willamette to make your own decision. Afterward, feel free to email me your thoughts. I want to know what everyone thought of the experience. When you make a reservation, I would say let them know, “A.J. sent me!” but they have zero clue who I am.

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With Gratitude,

A.J.

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