The 2021 Domaine Serene "Evenstad Reserve" Chardonnay from Dundee Hills, Oregon, is a highly-regarded wine, receiving praise for its balance of acidity and richness, and complex flavor profile. Reviewers highlight notes of golden apple, quince, chamomile, and wet stone, with a satiny texture and savory finish. Some also mention flavors of lemon zest, green melon, and olive oil.
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Overall Impression:
The wine is described as a "blockbuster effort" from a warm vintage, showcasing the quality of fruit from the Dundee Hills.
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Aromas:
Wine.com notes highlight aromas of golden apples, quince peel, chamomile, and wet stone. Other reviews add notes of fresh-cut pineapple, guava, and melon.
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Flavors:
The palate is noted for its bright acidity, which balances a rich mouthfeel. Flavors include lemon zest, Golden Delicious apples, green melon, and olive oil, with an elegant minerality that lingers.
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Texture:
The wine is described as having a satiny or silky texture, with a harmonious integration of flavors.
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Finish:
The finish is long and savory, with some reviewers noting a lingering minerality.
93pts Wine Enthusiast
Orchard fruit meets the tropics here, with apricots duking it out with passion fruit for aromatic supremacy. I also enjoyed the wine's floral and spicy mix of plumeria and gardenia. The flavors are a wall of lemon, with lemon bars and lemon balm tea holding court, joined by a bit of saline. Lively acidity is a bonus.
90pts Wine Spectator
Svelte and rather demure, with appealing lemon and green apple flavors accented by orange peel and spices.
Winemaker Notes
The Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay represents the art of blending select barrels from Domaine Serene's estate vineyard sites in the Dundee Hills. This combination of Dijon clone vines, Jory soil, and the high elevation estates in the Dundee Hills produces fruit of unparalleled quality for this reserve wine.
History
Ken and Grace Evenstad founded Domaine Serene Vineyards and Winery in 1989 when they purchased 42 acres of just-logged land in the Dundee Hills of Oregon and built a five-level, gravity flow winery to produce ultra-premium Pinot Noir. Today, Domaine Serene produces wines from six individual vineyard estates in the Willamette Valley planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each estate offers a diversity of soils, clones, rootstocks, microclimates, slopes, and elevations that add distinguishing complexity and elegance to the wines.
The Evenstads now own over 1,000 acres, more than 360 of which are planted to vine in three AVAs of the Willamette Valley and are actively preserving Oregon White Oak trees and the biodiversity of the region. They have achieved LIVE certification, the highest certification in the world for sustainable viticulture. Domaine Serene’s wines have won many accolades and awards, including 200 wines scoring 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator. Their 2013 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir was recognized as #3 Wine in the World, while the 2014 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay received 95 points and was ranked the #2 Wine in the World according to Wine Spectator. Over the years, Domaine Serene has opened three Oregon Wine Lounges in Portland, Bend, and Lake Oswego that offer wine club members, locals, and visitors an elevated wine experience.
