The Global Masters Wine of the Week: The perfect Pinot Noir for the holidays

Every week we select a wine that picked up either a Gold or Master from our competition series, and tell you why the judges loved it. Enter the Global Masters and this could be your wine.

(Photo: Jerusalem Hill)

In honour of Thanksgiving tomorrow (28 November), and in the run-up to Christmas, we are showcasing a velvety, fruity, single vineyard Oregon Pinot perfect for pairing with turkey and all the trimmings.

Domaine Serene is famous for making fine Pinot Noir. Founded in 1989 by Grace and Ken Evenstad, it is a quietly elegant winery perched atop the Dundee Hills, with stunning views of the Willamette Valley. Winemaker Michael Fay was brought on as director of winemaking and viticulture in May 2017, having cut his teeth at Goldeneye Winery in Sonoma, where he developed a talent for making stand-out, terroir-driven Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

This particular Pinot is made from grapes planted at Domaine Serene’s lowest elevation vineyard, 16 miles south of the Dundee Hills in the Eola-Amity Hills, and the terroir shines through. The nose comes with heaps of red and black fruit, with cranberries, cherry, and pomegranate all present, but underscored with the kind of substance you’d expect in a carefully crafted Oregon Pinot. Black tea, smoke and earth add balance to the bouquet, and the judges were blown away by this wine’s structure, velvety smooth tannins, and a finish that never, well, finishes.

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, American wines are the order of the day. This bottle, with its layers of red berries, bright acidity and soft tannins, is an ideal companion to roast turkey and cranberry sauce, while its earthiness can stand up to those slightly trickier dishes on the table like green bean casserole.

If you’ve ran out of time to stock up, we see no reason why you wouldn’t want this wine on your table at Christmas, as it has enough fruit and smoke to sit comfortably with anything from turkey to a Christmas ham. Happy holidays, indeed.

The wine: Domaine Serene Jerusalem Hill Pinot Noir 2014

The source: Eola hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

The grape(s): Pinot Noir (100%)

ABV: 14.3%

Ageing: 16 months in new French oak barrels

The style: A dry, barrel-aged, medium-weight, ripe red-berry flavoured red with soft tannins.

The winemaker: Michael Fay

The price: US$105 directly from Domaine Serene’s website

The medal: Master – The Pinot Noir Masters, 2018

Click here to find out more about our 2018 Pinot Noir Masters competition.

With high quality judges and a unique sampling process, the Global Wine Masters provides a chance for your wines to star, whether they hail from the great vineyards of Europe or lesser-known corners of the New World.

It’s a competition dedicated to making winners out of winemakers.

Please visit the Global Masters website for more information, or please call +44 (0)20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com