Collaborations between France and America date back to the very roots of this nation. The Statue of Liberty is an enduring symbol of this friendship. It has resulted in some darn good wine too.
French Wine Royalty
Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded Maison Louis Jadot in 1859. Over the years the venerable French négociant has created stellar wines from its Burgundy vineyards.
There is one thing Louis Jadot has never done: create a wine outside of France. That is, until now.
Pinnacle Oregon Pinot Vines
Around the world, Burgundy is considered to produce the very finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Old World style is full of earthiness and subtle expressions of terroir. In the US, there are some prime producers of Pinot in California, but for my money, the very best comes from Willamette Valley Oregon.
So, it’s not surprising that Maison Louis Jadot chose the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Willamette Valley for its first US project. After becoming interested in the terroir and wine of Oregon, they search and finally purchased a vineyard in 2013. The Résonance project is led by famed Jadot winemaker, Jacques Lardière, who takes 42 years of experience making beautiful Pinot Noirs of Burgundy to one of the world’s most exciting Pinot Noir regions.
Résonance Resonates In The States
Yamhill-Carlton is one of six sub-AVAs in Willamette Valley. It is home to many of the Oregon wine pioneers and the oldest soils in the Willamette Valley. For Pinot Noir it is all about terroir – and in Yamhill-Carlton, it is amazing.
The Résonance is still a young wine. One to two years of bottle aging would help Résonance shine even more. Even so, it is rich with blackberry and plum flavors.
It is a deep purple color, which isn’t surprising since Yamhill-Carlton Pinot has some of the darkest color in the Willamette Valley. The wine has nice structure and is a bit heavier in body than I expected.
Résonance is a delicious mash-up of the best of Burgundy and Oregon. It retails for $65 and while ready to drink now, will age beautifully. Viva la Pinot Noir!
Full Disclosure: We received this wine as a marketing sample.
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