#11 James Suckling Top 100 ~ 2025 edition.
 
97-Points by James Suckling.
Rich, powerful and gorgeous, drenched in fruity, savory, mushroomy flavors on a full body and super-smooth tannins. It is deep in black cherry, blackcurrant, cedar and pine character that expands on the palate and lingers in the finish.
 
96-Points by Owen Bargreen.
A world-class bottling, the 2023 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir is a block selection wine that was stored in mainly neutral oak before bottling. This wine was first crafted back in 1992. This is very seamless throughout the drinking experience. Blood orange zest combines with Bing cherry, black raspberry and stony essence. Complex and delicious, this has some seriously good aging potential.
 
95-Points by Jeb Dunnuck.
A touch more saturated red in color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Laurène is deeper and more layered in the glass, with notes of pine, sage, ripe cherries, fresh leather, and pressed floral perfume. It has a refined and plush texture, with ripe tannins and elegant notes of dark earth.
 
Tasting Winery Notes ~ Véronique Boss-Drouhin
Elegant and expressive, the 2023 Laurène opens with aromas of lilac, cardamom, and pitted cherries. The nose is lifted and complex, with floral notes giving way to a savory undercurrent. On the palate, layers of ripe summer berries unfold alongside subtle baking spices and crushed herbs, all held in graceful balance. The extended finish offers a glimpse into Laurène’s very promising future.
 
Production Notes
Named after Véronique Boss-Drouhin’s elder daughter, Laurène is our flagship wine and is produced entirely from Pinot Noir grown on the family’s estate in the Dundee Hills. The fruit is handpicked into small totes, destemmed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then placed into French Oak barrels. Once the vintage is safely in the cellar, Véronique begins the process of selecting barrels which have an extra complexity, length, and depth — barrels which will work together as Laurène.
 
Vintage Notes
In 2023, budbreak was unusually late, starting on April 30. Next came an unexpected heat surge and minimal rainfall, a lasting pattern which compressed the period from budbreak to bloom to less than 45 days (a record)! Our vineyards adapted well to these surprises, and when harvest started on September, the fruit looked great. Towards the end of the month, we saw some significant rains. The overall harvest concluded on October 5.
 
Established in 1987, Domaine Drouhin Oregon is owned by famed Burgundy producer, Maison Joseph Drouhin. Hand-crafted by fourth generation winemaker, Veronique Drouhin-Boss, the distinctive Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays of Domaine Drouhin are prized for their elegance, balance and finesse, as well as their ability to age. Philippe Drouhin, Veronique's brother, is in charge of viticulture and has earned an international reputation for his work both in Burgundy and Oregon. Ninety acres of the 225-acre estate are now planted, with over 3100 vines per acre. Domaine Drouhin Oregon's landmark 4-level gravity flow winery is nestled into the heart of the Dundee Hills.
Robert Drouhin’s vision of an Oregon estate winery that could rival the great vineyards of Burgundy has been realized at DDO. From what began as test plantings of cloned Pinot Noir rootstock, Domaine Drouhin now encompasses 124 acres of hillside vineyards. Interspersed with the Pinot Noir vines are 11 acres of Chardonnay, planted at various elevations and, like in Burgundy, planted right alongside rows of Pinot Noir.
The Drouhin Family’s winemaking roots run deep, having taken hold in Burgundy’s best vineyards more than a century ago. Through the years, there has been a very clear link, a continuum, that inhabits Maison Joseph Drouhin, and now Domaine Drouhin Oregon.
 
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.