Vintage Character Domaine Drouhin 'Laurène' Pinot Noir 2023 is a Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills, Oregon. At the Dundee Hills estate, budbreak was late on April 30, then sudden heat and little rain compressed the time to flowering to less than forty-five days. Picking began in late September; notable rain arrived near month-end before harvest finished on October 5. Healthy fruit survived that abrupt shift from a slow start to rapid growth. The interaction of fast summer development and September rain makes picking decisions more consequential than a simple warm-year label would suggest. Laurène is a post-fermentation barrel selection from estate Pinot Noir, so the season is read through a smaller, more selective group of lots. In 2023, late budbreak, rapid heat-driven growth and September rain preceded the final barrel choice.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing The 2023 note stresses lilac, cardamom, pitted cherry and ripe berries on a long, poised finish. The palate is dry and silkily structured. Roast duck, mushroom-and-herb pasta and grilled quail suit Laurène's savoury layers while leaving space for its red-fruit energy.
Winery Background Laurène is named after Véronique Boss-Drouhin's elder daughter and is the family's flagship Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. Estate fruit is picked by hand, destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts before entering French oak. Véronique then chooses barrels with the depth, length and harmony she wants in the final blend. That later selection differentiates Laurène from the core estate bottling, even though both share Pinot Noir and origin.