2021 Résonance, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $49

Background: Maison Louis Jadot is one of the most important negociants in Burgundy.        

The house was founded in Beaune by the Jadot family in 1859—the same year that Oregon was admitted to the Union. For their first project outside of Burgundy, they were drawn to the Willamette Valley and they built their new venture around Résonance Vineyard, originally planted in 1981 in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The winemaking team consists of Guillaume Large and Jacques Lardière, chief winemaker at Jadot for 42 years before retiring in 2012. Because this vintage was listed as one of Wine Spectator’s top 10 wines of 2023, it is extremely allocated. We were lucky to get over the one case limit so that we could put it in the club!

Wine details: 100% Pinot Noir, sourced from Résonance and other estate vineyards, as well as other top sites in the Willamette Valley. Aged 15 months in French oak barrels, 30% new.

Flavor Profile: They note that this wine “elegantly blends Maison Louis Jadot’s winemaking with the Willamette Valley’s signature terroir.” It is a dark, rich Pinot, with complex and expressive notes of red fruit, elegant structure, and balancing stony minerality.

Recommendation: You could let this Pinot develop for up to five years, then enjoy it with somewhat heartier fare, such as Boeuf Bourguignon, coq au vin, etc.

2021 Colene Clemens Vineyards, Margo Pinot Noir, $44

Background: Colene Clemons was founded by Joe and Vicki Stark in 2005. They began with an abandoned farmstead and orchard on a steep, rocky, south-facing slope on the western edge of the Chehalem Mountains where they converge with Ribbon Ridge, and began actual wine production in 2008. Today their estate spans 122 acres. The property is named in honor of Vicki’s mother, and this wine is named for Colene’s granddaughter. The wines are made by Stephen Goff, who worked as assistant winemaker for six years at Beaux Frères before joining Colene Clemens. He is also the vineyard manager.

Wine details: 100% Pinot Noir, 46% Pommard, 25% Dijon 115, 16% Wädenswil, and 13% Dijon 777. Aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 28% new, and the rest one- to four-years old. Sourced from select vineyard blocks and barrels from their dry-farmed, estate vineyard, with both sedimentary and volcanic soils, at elevations between 350 and 650 feet.

Flavor Profile: The winery says that Margo is “designed to be very approachable, vibrant, and broad on the palate.” 2021 was a warm, dry vintage, but overall, the wines show good concentration, with some power, yet a surprising amount of elegance, despite the heat spikes. The 2021 Margo is a very pretty Pinot, with red fruit flavors, velvety tannins, and nice herbal notes.

Recommendation: While drinking well now, you could give this wine a year or two to develop further, then enjoy up to 2028. It’s a great Pinot for salmon.