06 Jun Résonance Wines Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs Resonated with Me. Will They Resonate with You?

The word “resonance” is derived from the Latin word “resonantia,” which means “echo,” or from the root “resonare” — to “sound again.” The aptly named Résonance Wines in the Willamette Valley resonated with Maison Louis Jadot from France and will resonate with wine lovers as I wrote about for Men’s Journal and share here.

Coincidentally, the French wine producer Maison Louis Jadot was founded in 1859, the same year that the state of Oregon was founded. Burgundy and the Willamette Valley are recognized for their terroir-driven Pinot Noir yet are distinct places. After more than 150 years of producing wine in France, Maison Louis Jadot decided to make wine outside of France for the first time. Taking their expertise, they looked for a region that could express terroir. New Zealand, Chile, and the Willamette Valley were all possibilities as they sit at the same latitude as Burgundy.

In 2012, winemaker Jacques Lardière, who had worked 42 harvests at Louis Jadot, came to the Willamette Valley with Jadot proprietor Thibault Gagey. They found a 20-acre vineyard, named Resonance Vineyard, tucked into the Coast Range hills near Carlton. Originally planted in 1981, the Pinot Noir vines were un-grafted, own-rooted, a rarity. They had found terroir. They purchased the vineyard, keeping its name, and named the winery in its honor, as resonance has the same meaning in English and French. They added an accent mark to the name to connect Oregon and France and made their first wine in 2013.

In 2016, winemaker Guillaume Large joined the Résonance Wines team. Guillaume was born in Burgundy and had worked at Louis Jadot as the cellarmaster where he learned about the meticulous work required to express terroir. For Guillaume, coming to the Willamette Valley resonates with him as it perfectly balances the Burgundian lifestyle he grew up with and the American way of life.

In addition to the Résonance Vineyard, Résonance Wines has three other estate vineyards in the Willamette Valley. In 2017 they purchased 350 acres next to Résonance Vineyard, also in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, where they planted 60 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Jolis Monts Vineyard and built a winery. The Découverte Vineyard is in the Dundee Hills AVA and is 15 acres planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Koosh Vineyard is in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and is 44 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Koosh Vineyard sits at an elevation of 700-1100 feet and is one of the highest sites in the AVA. All four vineyards, totaling 140 acres of vines, are certified organic and dry-farmed.

The Willamette Valley and Résonance Vineyard resonated with Maison Louis Jadot, as did it with winemaker Guillaume Large. And the wines resonated with me as the single vineyard Pinot Noirs reflect the terroir.

Résonance 2021 Pinot Noir, Découverte Vineyard, Dundee Hills (SRP: $75)

The grapes were handpicked, fermented with native yeasts, and aged for 17 months in French oak. The wine has an elegant nose with floral, strawberry, and delicate spice notes. On the palate, the wine is energetic. The wine’s elegance, structure, and energy come from the iron-rich red soils of the Dundee Hills.

Résonance 2021 Founder’s Blocks Estate Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton (SRP: $75)

Grapes are sourced from the finest blocks from the Résonance Vineyard in Carlton, and the adjacent Jolis Mount Vineyard. Like the Découverte Vineyard Pinot Noir, the grapes were handpicked, fermented with native yeasts, and aged for 17 months in French oak. However, due to the marine sedimentary soils, the wine has darker aromas of blackberry, violets, forest floor, tobacco, and pepper. On the palate, the wine has vibrant minerality, ripe tannins, and a long finish.

Résonance 2015 Pinot Noir, Résonance Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton (MAGNUM SRP: $340)

Sourced from some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley, the un-grafted, own-rooted Pinot Noir is grown on ancient marine sedimentary soils. A wine at 9 years of age still shows so much freshness. The nose offers aromas of black cherry, blueberry, blackberry, violet, and brown spice. It is concentrated and structured with a depth of flavor. Made from un-grafted and own-rooted vines, this wine is a true expression of place.

Drinking terroir-driven Pinot Noir, specifically the single vineyard Pinot Noirs from Résonance Wines, resonated with me and if you try them, I am sure they will resonate with you.

Read the original story in Men’s Journal.