This month, the French Winophiles are shaking things up a bit. Rather than exploring a French wine region, our group of French-wine-loving bloggers is looking at Burgundian producers who are literally putting down roots in the US. I have chosen Maison Louis Jadot’s Résonance vineyard in Oregon, and will be pairing its 2017 Découverte pinot noir with bœuf bourguignon – an incredible match!
Bourgogne 101
Before we get into the New World component of this article, let’s go back to the Old‑World roots. Bourgogne (aka Burgundy)—located in the eastern part of France, just north of the city of Lyon and the Beaujolais—is the land of pinot noir and chardonnay. It is home to a dizzyingly complex classification system for 84 famous appellations, including Chablis, Côte d’Or and Montrachet. Each has its own sense of place, something in which Burgundians take great pride. Similarly, Oregon winemakers are also fiercely proud of their grape-growing region. Famed Burgundian wine powerhouse Maison Louis Jadot was perhaps drawn to the Willamette Valley precisely for this reason—finding a sense of familiarity there in the pride of place.
Maison Louis Jadot
In the early 2010s, Maison Louis Jadot was looking for its first venture outside of France. This revered house has been making wines in Burgundy since Louis Jadot acquired his first vineyard in 1826, and is considered a benchmark for Bourgogne reds. It has been instrumental in making the wines of Bourgogne famous around the world, and owns over 200 hectares across Burgundy, including 80 hectares in Beaujolais. You may recognize the iconic “Tête de Bacchus” (Bacchus’ head) on their labels.
Jadot + Oregon
Oregon, particularly the Willamette Valley, is a wine region that is garnering loads of attention, and with good reason. It is producing world-class wines and attracting winemakers from all over the world who want to try their hand at growing pinot noir there.
The people at Louis Jadot also fell under the spell of the Willamette Valley (bizarrely pronounced wihl-AM-it), falling in love with the 30+ year-old vines, the terroir, and the wines of Oregon’s Résonance vineyard. They acquired the vineyard in 2013, and coaxed winemaker Jacques Lardière to come out of retirement after working at Jadot in Bourgogne for 42 years. Burgundian Guillaume Large was also brought on as winemaker in 2017.
The Résonance vineyard is run sustainably and organically. It is dry-farmed, meaning there is no irrigation and the vines rely on rainfall only for watering. At harvest, grapes are hand-picked, and the minimal-intervention winemaking style lets the grapes speak for themselves.
Oregon pinot noir
Everything you need to know about Oregon pinot noir can be found in this post.
With its thin skin, pinot noir is softer in texture than a cabernet or shiraz, with light, subtle fruit flavours, high acidity, and low tannins. It is an ideal wine to pair with food. However, this grape is also notoriously temperamental. Its thin skin makes it particularly prone to diseases as well as damage from everything from rot and fungus to too much rain or sun. Because it is one of the most difficult grapes to grow, winemakers call it “the Heartbreak grape.” This may explain why it often costs more than other varietals.
“Because it is one of the most difficult grapes to grow, winemakers call it “the Heartbreak grape”. This may explain why it often costs more than other varietals.”
That said, when the stars align, pinot noir produces some of the most elegant and sought-after wines on the planet, and is the perfect grape to express the terroir. Remember that terroir is the French term for every aspect of the vineyard site—such as soil composition, sun exposure, wind direction, and rainfall—that translates into the final wine. It’s part of what makes a pinot noir from Burgundy different from a pinot noir from Ontario, New Zealand or California. Heck, it’s the reason even pinot noirs grown only 2 km apart can be completely different!
Résonance Découverte 2017 Pinot Noir
Tasting notes
What a stunner of a wine!
👁️ Gorgeous medium cherry red.
👃 I was immediately met with fabulous wafts of black cherry aromas and other black fruit, backed by baking spices and vanilla, stony minerality and a hint of something floral.
👅 Red cherry, blackberry, vanilla, date, savoury herbs, cedar, a faint hint of smoke, and minerality on the finish. This is a beautifully complex pinot.
The medium-bodied Résonance pinot noir has lots of mouthwatering acidity and surprisingly solid tannins for this thin-skinned grape. It did spend 17 months in French oak, so that may have been a contributing factor in terms of body, tannins and the subtle vanilla flavour. Decant or aerate before drinking, or cellar for 5-10 years.
🌱 This single-vineyard wine comes from Maison Louis Jadot’s second Oregon vineyard, which they acquired in 2014 and named Découverte (“discovery”). It is in the Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills AVA (i.e. American Viticultural Area), where the reddish volcanic soils are riddled with golden-coloured stones. This is called Jory, and is Oregon’s state soil (yes, it’s apparently a thing) and is truly the behind-the-scenes star of Oregon wines. Found on the sloping foothills of the Willamette Valley, Jory soil’s excellent drainage makes it ideal for grape growing, since the roots have to dig deep to find water, and vines thrive when stressed.
Résonance pinot noir + beef bourguignon
Given that the French Winophiles’ theme for the month was Burgundy–Oregon Tied Houses, I chose a classic dish from Bourgogne to go with this New-World wine. Plus, I just had a hankering for a hearty beef stew now that the temperatures are quickly plummeting (today’s high is -12°C brrrrrrrr).
I used the Café Delites adaptation of Julia Child’s original bœuf bourguignon recipe, opting for the slow-cooker method, because I wanted my house to smell amazing ALL. DAY. LONG.
Disclaimer: I did NOT cook with the $80 pinot! Any drinkable red will do.
I love this recipe because it isn’t overly complicated. The pan-fried garlic mushrooms are an absolute MUST. And did I mention it smelled amazing? Plus, the beef was so tender it just fell apart. It was a successful meal, even before the wine came into play.
Food and wine pairing
The Résonance Pinot Noir not only matched the bœuf bourguignon, it brought it to a whole other level. It was food/wine-pairing perfection.
The wine in the food obviously went fabulously with the pinot noir, and the savoury flavours of the dish really elevated the wine’s black fruit notes. The beef also did a lovely job of neutralizing the wine’s firm tannins. At the same time, the wine’s acidity cleansed the palate nicely, which just made me want to go in for more. I usually try to limit myself to one glass of wine with dinner, but with this sensational meal, all bets were off. All in all, it was an amazing (dare I say orgasmic?) wine and food experience.
Where to buy
Résonance is represented in Ontario by Halpern Wine. Unfortunately, the Découverte pinot noir is not expected to come this way until later in 2021. However, you can get two different Résonance 2018 chardonnays ($78) as well as the Willamette Pinot Noir ($60) through Halpern’s consignment program. This pinot noir recently ranked #19 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100. Check Halpern’s website and contact them for more information.
Attention Quebec pinot-lovers: only 10 bottles of the Découverte pinot noir I tasted remain at select SAQs (in the Cellier section). Act fast! Alternatively, contact LBV International for consignment options (i.e. buying by the case).
Happy wining!
Check out what the other Winophiles had to say!
Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm tells of “Countries United Through Food and Wine”
Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Galette au Chou + 2017 Résonance Pinot Noir”
Terri at Our Good Life tells tells us about “Resonance Pinot Noir and Roasted Pork Loin”
Lynn at Savor the Harvest shares “Oregon Pinot Noir With a Burgundian Heart – Domaine Drouhin Laurène”
Jennifer at Vino Travels cooks up “BBQ Brisket with Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir”
Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Oregon PN for a PNW holiday meal: A Résonance”
Robin from Crushed Grape Chronicles has a discovery: “Découverte! Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Dundee Hills and Mediterranean Salmon” #Winophiles
David from Cooking Chat shares his “Braised Moroccan Chicken Thighs with Oregon Pinot #Winophiles”
Jane from Always Ravenous has an “Oregon Pinot Noir Paired with Braised Chicken Thighs, Blackberries, and Fennel Purée”
Liz from What’s In That Bottle shares a “Taste of the 45th Parallel”
Jeff from Food Wine Click! tells us about “Louis Jadot on Both Sides of the Pond”
Payal from Keep the Peas shares “Burgundy via Oregon”
Nicole at SommsTable has a “Burgundy vs Oregon Showdown with Drouhin Wines”
Jill at L’Occasion covers “Bourgogne’s Western Vineyards: Crafting Pinot Noir in Oregon”
Gwen from Wine Predator shares “From France’s Bourgogne to Oregon’s Willamette Valley: Domaine Drouhin does Pinot Noir” #Winophiles
Michelle from Rockin Red Blog takes on “Best Of Both Worlds: Burgundy Producers Craft High-Quality Wine in Willamette Valley”
Cindy from Grape Experiences offers “Résonance Wines Express a Burgundian Vibe in the Willamette Valley”
Our host, L.M. Archer shares life “À Table with Domaine Drouhin Oregon and Résonance Wines”
*Samples were provided by the winery. All opinions are my own.