A Burgundy estate:
learn about our history and our wines
On the famous Route des Grands Crus, Domaine Evenstad welcomes you to the heart of the Burgundy wine region. Here in Santenay, our estate offers you a journey through several of the finest appellations in the region. Between the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, a variety of fine vintages offer a delightful range based mostly on Pinot Noir, followed by Chardonnay, Burgundy’s two iconic varieties.
The Evenstad family invites you to explore their Burgundy estate and their story, which began in the Dundee Hills in Oregon. From one continent to another, this passion for fine wines and for terroir, the hallmark of Domaine Evenstad, has only grown over the years.
To own and farm Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards in the Côte de Nuits represents the achievement of a long-held vision and dream that Ken and I shared.Grace Evenstad
The Evenstad family: a story of passion and commitment
Domaine Evenstad was born from an American couple’s passion for Burgundy wine. Grace and Ken Evenstad discovered a shared love for wine in the 1960s.
1989: establishing Domaine Serene in the United States
True pioneers, the Evenstads were among the first to plant Pinot Noir grapes in North America. In 1989, they created Domaine Serene in Oregon, in a region well-suited to this demanding variety. A few years later, in 1997, they introduced Chardonnay to their American vineyards to offer their customers a richer variety of elegant wines. Domaine Serene now cultivates some 110 hectares of vines.
Domaine Serene website: www.domaineserene.com
2015: acquiring the Château de la Crée in Santenay, Burgundy
In 2015, Grace and Ken Evenstad made their dream of wine growing and production in Burgundy a reality, here in the land where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reign supreme. Building on their American experience, they bought an estate in France, the Château de la Crée wine estate in Santenay. With 10 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes in the Côte de Beaune, the Château de la Crée takes enthusiastic wine-lovers on a journey through several of Burgundy’s finest villages, including Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Santenay.
Château de la Crée website: www.la-cree.com
2021: creating Domaine Evenstad in Santenay
Through unfailing commitment and a constant quest for quality, Grace and Ken have succeeded in associating the Evenstad name with world-class Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays Today, they are respected by their peers and by the profession as a whole.
The creation of Domaine Evenstad in Burgundy in 2021 was the natural next step, and just as exciting as the acquisition of the Château de la Crée six years before.
Presentation of our Burgundy estate, between the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits
While the Domaine Evenstad’s cellars, fermenting rooms, and tasting rooms are based in Santenay, in the Côte de Beaune, the vines cultivated by our estate can be found all along the Côte de Nuits. The plots represent six hectares, extending from Chambolle-Musigny in the south to Nuits-Saint-Georges, the capital of this wine area, and incorporating the Clos de Vougeot, an iconic, time-honored Grand Cru of the Burgundy wine region.
Two grape varieties hold sway here, Pinot Noir for red wines and Chardonnay for white. They occupy 11 UNESCO World Heritage Climats, parcels recognised for their unique character, including two Grand Crus and three Premier Crus.
Our wines: Grand Crus, Premier Crus, and AOC Villages
The estate’s first vintage is 2022, and the wines were bottled in the first months of 2024.
Here are some of the wines offered by Domaine:
Bonnes-Mares
A Grand Cru appellation in the Côte de Nuits, between the villages of Chambolle-Musigny and Morey-Saint-Denis, this Climat is devoted to Pinot Noir. Rich, robust, and full-bodied, this red wine is also elegant and well-rounded. Its intense bouquet of violets and brushwood makes it an ideal companion for fine cuisine. It also has excellent aging potential.
Clos de Vougeot
Between Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée, this prestigious Grand Cru appellation in the Côte de Nuits combines tradition with uniqueness. This famous Climat has thrived for centuries between the Clos de Vougeot walls that gave it its name. The wine transcends Pinot Noir with an intense color and delicate aromas of rose, truffle, and raspberry. This is another wine that offers excellent aging potential.
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru “Les Feusselottes” and “Les Lavrottes”
The AOC Chambolle-Musigny is home to 24 Premier Cru Climats, including Les Feusselottes (also spelled “Feusselotes”) and Les Lavrottes. Often described as feminine, these Côte de Nuits red wines are all about intensity and finesse, with a beautiful sparkling ruby color and a bouquet that is both complex and delicate.
Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru “Les Vaucrains”
The capital of the Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges boasts around forty exceptional Climats, including Les Vaucrains, a Premier Cru. It offers powerful, perfectly structured red wines.
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Winemaking techniques combining tradition and modernity
With a deep love of the Burgundy region and its wines, the Evenstad family strive to apply winegrowing techniques worthy of the land for which they are responsible. Both in the vineyard and in the cellar, the goal is to deliver the best possible interpretation of each Climat by producing site-specific wines. To achieve this, everything we do is imbued with the greatest respect for the wine, which means that our yield is limited. To ensure our Climats are always expressed with the fullest intensity, the Domaine Evenstad began converting to organic for the 2023 vintage.
Working with respect for tradition does not mean closing the door to progress. We are always seeking to innovate in order to make our wines even more distinctive. With this in mind, we invested in a new fermenting room in Santenay in 2021, a high-tech facility that helps us to bring out the very best in the terroirs that have been entrusted to us.
A unique wine tourism experience
You too can discover our Burgundy estate! Treat yourself to a unique and delightful experience at Domaine Evenstad in Santenay. Enjoy one of our tasting options alone, with a partner, or with friends. One of our wine experts will welcome you and accompany you on a tour of our estate, the cellars and fermenting room, explaining the history of the Domaine and the prestigious wine region to which we belong. Beneath the arched ceiling of our 19th-century cellars, on the terrace, or in the elegant setting of our tasting room, you’ll have the opportunity to savour a representative selection of our wines. From May to September, you can enjoy wine by the glass, served with gourmet refreshments on our terrace. We look forward to introducing you to our Burgundy estate!