Domaine Serene Yamhill Cvuée Pinot Noir 2011
Grace and Ken Evenstad first arrived and settled in the Dundee Hills in the Willamette Valley in 1989. At that time, the couple had spent over 20 years together in Minnesota building a successful business and a deep appreciation for the wines of Burgundy. The Evenstads had faith in Oregon early on, before there was a national market for domestic Pinot Noir. When the time came to pursue their longtime dream of growing and producing world class Pinot Noir, they invested in a 42 acre hilltop estate that had just been logged in the beautiful Dundee Hills of Oregon. With the support of their family – and to the surprise of many of their friends in Minnesota – the Evenstads established Domaine Serene, effectively creating Oregon’s luxury wine industry. They named the winery after their daughter, Serene, and their first vineyard on the estate was named after their son, Mark Bradford Evenstad. Today, Domaine Serene produces Pinot Noir from six vineyard estates, spanning three Willamette Valley AVAs, and Chardonnay solely from high elevations in the Dundee Hills.
Yamhill Cuvée is named for the county where all of the Domaine Serene Estates are located. This signature blend includes grapes from the Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, and Yamhill-Carlton AVA’s. Vivid ruby red and rich fruit aromas of red berries and floral spices, known as the “little sister” of the Evenstad Reserve. The palate yields sweet cherry and strawberry fruit with a hint of oak and citrus zest. The wine is well balanced and finishes long with smooth tannins, residual fruit and mineral tones. The wine was aged for 12 months in new French oak (54%). Drinking well now!
Cheers!