Domaine South
Oregon Wine Tasting
Fabulous Whites & Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley!
Special Guest, Allaina Nielsen of International Wines
Friday, June 5th, 4 pm - 6pm
$20 per person
256-759-9952 to Reserve
The Wines
2024 Van Duzer Pinot Gris Estate, Willamette Valley, Oregon $25.99
Our Pinot Gris comes into the winery early in the morning and carefully protected from oxygen before the juice is racked into special cigar tanks. Our careful handling of the juice preserves the delicate aromatics of the fruit. While the cigar tanks tall and narrow shape allow for a cool and steady fermentation that preserves the bouquet of the wine. Our careful handling makes a wine that is packed with fruit flavor and a true expression of the vineyard.
Our 2024 Estate Pinot Gris shows has an intense nose packed full of fresh fruit, showing Asian pear, grapefruit, honeysuckle, white peach, and nutmeg mixed with subtle hints of honeydew melon. Although dry, the fruit bouquet of the wine suggests a slight sweetness on the palate, but this is quickly balanced by a fresh and lively acid profile. The finish is long and mouthwatering.
2024 Cristom Williamette Valley Chardonnay, Oregon $36.99
The Willamette Valley Chardonnay is a blend of barrels from benchmark vineyards across the region, including the Cristom Estate. Crafted with the same meticulous care as our Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay and single-vineyard Chardonnays, this cuvée is designed to represent the broader Willamette Valley AVA. It offers a compelling expression of the vintage—vibrant, balanced, and unmistakably Cristom—at a remarkable value.
Vineyards: Cristom Estate: Eileen, Paul Gerrie, Louise Vineyards; Grower: Royer, Seven Springs, Stiling, and Von Oehsen Vineyards
Winemaking: Whole cluster pressed; 100% native yeasts; aged 9 months on its lees in a portion of new & neutral French oak barrels; 13.5% ABV
Vintage Notes: The 2024 growing season was marked by a combination of early-season rainfall, fluctuating temperatures, and a warm, dry summer. The season began with above-average rainfall, providing ample soil moisture—an ideal setup for vine growth. While temperatures rose in May and June, the warm conditions were balanced by cooler overnight temperatures, allowing for steady vine development. However, the early-season rainfall combined with the dry, warm summer led to an early and compressed harvest. Overall, the season’s conditions were favorable, contributing to the production of high-quality wines.
2023 Van Duzer Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon $35.99
Winemaker Notes
Opening with bright, expressive aromas of ripe red fruits—strawberry compote, raspberry, and pomegranate—layered with delicate notes of rose petal and warm baking spices. Hints of blood orange and black tea add nuance and complexity to the nose. On the palate, the wine is fresh and lively, with a vibrant acidity. Fine-grained tannins provide structure and lead into a long, graceful finish.
Professional Ratings
91
Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley mixes rosy florals with lavender and dried strawberries. Lifted and graceful in style, it offers bright red berry fruits and crisp mineral tones that swirl throughout. A gentle saline tinge mingles with grippy tannins and a twang of citrus through the medium length finish.
2024 Cristom Williamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon $36.99
The Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is a blend of barrels from benchmark vineyards across the region, including the Cristom Estate. Crafted with the same meticulous care as our Mt. Jefferson Cuvée and single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, this cuvée is designed to represent the broader Willamette Valley AVA. It offers a compelling expression of the vintage—elegant, balanced, and unmistakably Cristom—at a remarkable value.
Vineyards: Cristom Estate: Eileen, Paul Gerrie, Louise, Jessie Vineyards; Grower: Armstrong, Bjornson, Durant, Holmes Hill, Luminous Hills, RPG, Stermer, Stiling, and Witness Tree Vineyards
Winemaking: 42% whole cluster fermentation; 100% native yeasts; aged 9 months on its lees in 16% new French oak barrels; unfined & unfiltered; 13.5% ABV
Tasting Notes: Notes of dark cherry, pomegranate, baking spice, and earth offer depth and character well beyond its tier.
Vintage Notes: The 2024 growing season was marked by a combination of early-season rainfall, fluctuating temperatures, and a warm, dry summer. The season began with above-average rainfall, providing ample soil moisture—an ideal setup for vine growth. While temperatures rose in May and June, the warm conditions were balanced by cooler overnight temperatures, allowing for steady vine development. However, the early-season rainfall combined with the dry, warm summer led to an early and compressed harvest. Overall, the season’s conditions were favorable, contributing to the production of high-quality wines.
Behind the Label: Our label pays tribute to the rich botanical heritage of the Willamette Valley, highlighting native plants that have long shaped the region’s identity—and that are also found on the Cristom Estate.
2023 Purple Hands Pinot Noir Haakon/Lenai Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon $72.99
The Haakon/Lenai Vineyard Pinot Noir shows elegant notes of pomegranate, cola, spicy tobacco, roasted dark cherry, blackcurrant, rhubarb, allspice, juniper berry and rose petal with fine tannins. Dry Farmed, & Organically farmed. Aged 11 Months in French Oak Barrels, 40% New.
96Jeb Dunnuck
The Haakon/Lenai Vineyard was planted in 1998, from certified organic estate fruit (777, Pommard, Wadenswil, 115, and 114 Dijon clones) on a deep pan of Jory soils. In the glass, the 2023 Pinot Noir Haakon/Lenai offers a bright ruby red hue and has more nervous tension compared to the Latchkey Vineyard, initially revealing focused notes of bright spices before starting to unravel more complex aromas of compact wild berries, dark berries, fresh wild herbs, sage, tarragon, and cardamom. It offers a medium-bodied frame, with coiled tannins, balanced acidity, and its sunny fruit shining through on the finish.
95Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Pinot Noir Haakon Lenai floods the senses with expressive raspberry, wild cherry, hibiscus, licorice, rose petals and slowly emerging earthy accents. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with perfumed, layered flavors. It’s framed by velvety tannins, and fireworks of fresh acidity drive a long, shimmery finish with latent spicy tones. It should be long lived in the cellar.
94James Suckling
A powerful and elegant wine with aromas and flavors of fresh black cherries, raspberries, red licorice, black pepper, blood oranges, roses, violets and forest botanicals. The palate is dense but light, with structured layers of acidity, fine tannins and a finish of baking spice and cocoa powder.
94Wine Enthusiast
An aromatic burst of cherry liqueur is soon joined by notes of loamy soil and spicy ginger. The wine's luxurious texture and silky tannins pair nicely with concentrated blackberry, black tea, and bittersweet dark chocolate flavors. The acidity here is brisk, providing a nice balance with the wine's restrained alcohol, tannins and fruit. This pleasurable wine makes you want to settle into your chair for a relaxing conversation.
94Wine Spectator
Handsomely structured and silky in texture, with multilayered raspberry and guava flavors that are endowed with orange peel, cardamom and other dusky spices as this gathers length and breadth toward polished tannins.