EVENSTAD ESTATES EXTENDs its VINEYARDS IN BURGUNDY
Evenstad Estates, the umbrella company of Domaine Serene in Oregon, and Château de la Crée and Maison Evenstad in Burgundy, has bought a major shareholding in the famous Christian Confuron et Fils domaine and added a further six hectares on the world-renowned Côte de Nuits to its 10 hectares on the Côte de Beaune.
The expansion focuses on vineyards producing the famed Bonnes-Mares and Clos Vougeot grand-crus, as well as premier-crus in Chambolle-Musigny and even Nuits-Saint-Georges. Not only that, it also brings into the Evenstad Estates village appellation vineyards in these two aforementioned appellations and Côte de Nuits village, as well as some small plots with a regional appellation.
«It’s a natural development for us, in line with our ongoing quest for better wine-growing land across the globe so that we can offer international class Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays to the members of our wine club and our clients», commented Ryan Harris, President and CEO of Evenstad Estates. «Offering our most loyal customers very rare, renowned Burgundy wines makes a lot of sense to us».
While numerous Burgundy wine-growers have settled in Oregon for several decades, Evenstad Estates was the first company to do the reverse in 2015 with the purchase of Château de la Crée and its ten hectares of vineyards. These were composed of top-notch plots of the Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges appellations. As the first producer from Oregon to produce Burgundy wines, Evenstad Estates offers its French range for tasting and sale on the different sites of Domaine Serene, as well as to American members of its «French wine clubs» which are among the very few American clubs devoted to Burgundy wines.
In France, you can discover the Burgundy wines, along with Evenstad Estates’ wines from Oregon, at Château de la Crée in Santenay. And, with a few more drops of patience, the wines of the Côte de Nuits will come to complement the range.
«It was first and foremost our passion for the great Burgundy Pinot Noirs that led us to set up Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills of Oregon», explains Grace Evenstad, founding owner and President of the Board. «With your feet in the Burgundy soil, you can feel the weight of centuries of wine-growing history, and are overcome with immense respect for the unique terroirs in the region. Bonnes-Mares has always been one of my favorite grand-crus and a perfect example of the amazing wine that can be made with Pinot Noir grown on an exceptional plot. Owning and producing Côte de Nuits grand-crus and premier-crus is the fruit of hard work and a long-term vision. It is a true privilege to be the custodians of such a prestigious plot for our generation.»
The Christian Confuron et Fils domaine is composed largely of Pinot Noir, with a small plot of white Nuits-Saint-Georges, planted with Pinot Blanc – altogether an acquisition fully aligned with Evenstad Estates’ search for quality and excellence. The oldest vines were planted in the 1920s and have been worked with great care for generations. The Bonnes-Mares and the Clos Vougeot produce wines that regularly score 97 to 100 points among wine critics and the specialized press.
To learn more about Evenstad Estates and their future projects, come and visit us at one of our domaines or tasting sites.
In the USA: visit www.domaineserene.com, call 503-864-4600 and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
In France and Europe : find us at www.la-cree.com or call +33 (0)380 206 336 and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
About Evenstad Estates:
Founded in 1989 by Ken and Grace Evenstad in the Dundee Hills, Evenstad Estates makes Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in Oregon and Bourgogne, under the trading names Domaine Serene, Château de la Crée, and Maison Evenstad.
On buying Château de la Crée at Santenay in 2015, the Evenstads became the first Oregon wine-growers to own vineyards and produce wine in Burgundy. Shortly after this purchase, they set up Maison Evenstad to complement their range. Today the Evenstads own 16 hectares in Burgundy, split between ten hectares on the Côte de Beaune and six on the Côte de Nuits.
In Oregon, Evenstad Estates runs a clubhouse on Domaine Serene, a cutting-edge winery/fermenting room, and tasting rooms looking out over the Dundee Hills. Domaine Serene launched its innovative Wine Lounge concept in 2018 with one lounge in Portland and another at Lake Oswego. A third will be opened this autumn, this time in Bend. The winery currently vinifies grapes from six different domaines that grow only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Evenstads own 400 hectares, 120 of which are planted with vines, in the hills of Yamhill County.
For further information, go to www.domaineserene.com or www.la-cree.com