2019 Roserock Pinot Noir 'Zéphirine '

Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

Roserock is an extraordinary vineyard at the southern tip of the Eola-Amity Hills, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Ancient volcanic soils, an ideal elevation range and the unique cooling effect of the Van Duzer corridor produce classic cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Roserock is LIVE-certified sustainable. This vineyard, planted by the pioneering viticulturist William Hill, was purchased by Domaine Drouhin in 2013.

This blend of the finest barrels of Roserock Pinot Noir is named for the fragrant “Zéphirine Drouhin” variety of thornless climbing rose, introduced in 1868. Fittingly, the dark-ruby Zéphirine Pinot Noir has an intoxicating perfume, of roses, violets, strawberries, and cacao. The complexity and finesse of this lyrical wine will reward cellar age, although it drinks deliciously upon release.

Véronique Drouhin-Boss, the fourth-generation winemaker of the Drouhin family, has lovingly crafted every drop of wine produced at Domaine Drouhin Oregon since its first vintage in 1988. She also now oversees the winemaking at Maison Joseph Drouhin in Burgundy, producing some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines on both sides of the Atlantic. Véronique’s interest in wine and the family business began when she was young and blossomed under the tutelage of her father Robert Drouhin. In 1986, she graduated from the University of Dijon with an advanced degree in enology, and decided to venture to Oregon to expand her experience and learn more about the fledgling industry that was beginning to take root in the Willamette Valley. Véronique interned that year with Adelsheim Vineyards, Bethel Heights and Eyrie. She has returned to Oregon every year since then to capture the essence of what nature provides in Drouhin’s unique estate vineyards. In many ways, Véronique embodies the essence of Pinot Noir—spirited, graceful and feminine. Her wines at Domaine Drouhin RoseRock have always been hallmarked by elegance, finesse, purity and the capacity to improve gracefully with age.

97 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. "The 2019 Pinot Noir Zéphirine is so expressive this vintage! Matured for 14 months in 20% new oak, it has a pure fragrance of blueberries and lilac, aniseed and earth, gaining aromatic nuance and depth with time in the glass. Medium-bodied, the palate begins with bursts of acidity and a flourish of spices that glide seamlessly through the mouth for an incredibly persistent, floral finish."

97 points, James Suckling. "Redcurrant, sour cherry and smoke on the nose. Hibiscus, too. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and lively acidity. Vibrant and juicy on the palate with a bright core of redcurrants and dried herbs. Layered and balanced, with a long, savory finish. Very vertical and deep. Drinkable now, but best from 2023."