2023 Domaine Serene 'Yamhill Cuvee' Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

In 1989, Ken and Grace Evenstad bought a fog-bound, just-logged hilltop in the Dundee Hills sight unseen. Then they built a five-level gravity-flow winery, planted only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and bet everything on the idea that Oregon could speak in the same language as Burgundy.

The receipts tell the story. A #3 Wine in the World finish for the 2010 Evenstad Reserve. A #2 Wine in the World for the 2014 Chardonnay, making Domaine Serene the only winery on earth with a Wine Spectator Top 3 placement for both varieties. A 2012 Winery Hill that beat 26 Premier Cru and 6 Grand Cru Burgundies for Best in Show at the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards. Nearly 200 90+ scores from Wine Spectator. LIVE sustainable certified. Served at White House state dinners.

The Yamhill Cuvée is the gateway. Named for the county where every Domaine Serene vineyard sits, it's a deliberate house-style blend across three of Oregon's most prized Pinot AVAs — Yamhill-Carlton (red marine soils, perfume), Dundee Hills (volcanic Jory soils, structure), and Eola-Amity Hills (windswept ridges, acidity).

The result is complete: rose petals, cherry, cedar spice, silky fine-grained tannins. Vintage after vintage.

Decanter gave the 2023 vintage a 5/5 rating: “The wines that were made from the 2023 vintage in Oregon’s Willamette Valley are beautiful. There’s a grace and refinement stamped across them, from their aromatics to their polished finishes. And there’s a precocious nature to them, too: perfect for those without patience.”

Translation: this is the Domaine Serene bottle to buy when you want serious Oregon Pinot without the three-figure price tag. Drinking beautifully now, easily five to seven more in the cellar.