" We don't sell the wine without touching the vine "
Wine from Eminent Domaine
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Eminent Domaine Winery
The name, Eminent Domaine, is a reflection of our experience with the legal term, eminent domain, our dedication to the Oregon wine industry and our love of the wines produced in our region.
In 2002 the City of Portland cited eminent domain as reason for claiming an office building we owned downtown. We began negotiations, as we agreed with the intent of the law, which states that the property would be used for the public good in exchange for a price based on fair market value. However, when both qualifiers came into question, a lengthy legal process ensued. Despite having a more favorable outcome from arbitration, the compensation was low and the property was used for undisclosed purposes.
Having been brought up on a small farm in Hillsboro Oregon, Jeff Meader always wanted to go back to the land. Already entrenched in Oregon’s wine industry and looking to the future, it was a natural progression to re-invest in a small piece of land in the coveted Ribbon Ridge AVA. In 2009, we set about planting the 7 acre parcel with selected Pinot Noir clones and harvested our first estate fruit in 2011.
In 2012, a partnership fell into place with our long-time wine industry friend, Rob Alstrin. Having been through a similar circumstance regarding the law of eminent domain while living in Arizona, Rob could relate to the Meaders’ experience. He also shared a commitment to the Oregon wine industry and a desire to bring Eminent Domaine to the national marketplace. Rob’s years of background listed below have been helpful in growing our distribution for these special hand-crafted wines.
With a degree in Wine Marketing from the University of Adelaide in S. Australia, Rob has worked his way through various positions in sales, marketing, distribution and operations and become a key figure in the wine industry. Rob has served on the board of Oregon Pinot Camp with Dick Erath, David Adelsheim, Diana Lett and Nancy Ponzi, and is a frequent speaker at the Oregon Wine Symposium and other industry events. In 2001 He was recruited by Domaine Serene Winery as their Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He saw the company grow tenfold while solidifying his own place in the wine business. In 2005, Rob leveraged his experience and relationships with some of the region’s premier wineries and opened his own business. Northwest Core Collection has helped wineries such as Penner-Ash, Bergström, and A to Z grow their national distribution business. The company has now evolved to represent a collection of smaller family wineries, allowing Rob and his sales team to share their unique stories across a broad national market.
Starting with our 2012 wines, we are fortunate to be working with another longtime wine industry friend and stellar winemaker, Drew Voit. As a fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon wine industry, Drew is intimately familiar with exceptional vineyard sites. While serving as the Associate Winemaker at Domaine Serene Winery, and then as Winemaker for Shea Wine Cellars. He has worked with some of the best vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Drew is helping us craft Eminent Domaine wines at a new custom crush facility he manages at the Beacon Hill Vineyard.
While we do not currently have a tasting room for people to visit, we can take appointments to visit and taste our wines. We hope to have a small tasting room in the future based right at the vineyard in Ribbon Ridge.
Eminent Domaine Vineyard
In the spring of 2009 we completed planting our 7 acre vineyard on Ribbon Ridge. The soil was ripped and limed and posts were selected that contain no chemicals that would leach into the soils. We planted 2 acres of Pommard, 2 acres of 777 and 1.5 acres of 115 all on 101-14 rootstock. The rootstock was selected for its hearty nature that should be well-suited for drier years. The vine spacing is 4’x6’. The vineyard is irrigated, however our method is to limit irrigation after plants have been established to encourage roots to work harder for nutrients. The soils are Wellsdale and Dupee. Vineyard elevation is approximately 640 feet and sits on a “table-top” unobstructed by trees or hills.
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Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Swartland is made from 100 percent Syrah.
Grapes for our Boekenhoutskloof Syrah are picked from selected parcels of the finest Syrah, grown at our Swartland farms, namely Porseleinberg and Goldmine, close to the small town of Riebeek-Kasteel. These vineyards were planted on the rocky bedrock of decomposed Mica-Schist, a unique terroir, finding its expression in our concentrated and structured wines made from this Rhône grape.
The nose is perfumed, forthcoming and fresh, offering an array of rich dark fruits with a spicy, floral, even feral character, derived from complex aromas of dark berries, plums, violets, black olives, star anise and potting soil. The black fruits and earthy character of the nose follow through onto a dark, brooding palate with flavours of wild berries, brambles, liquorice, tobacco, cloves and black cardamom. The mid-palate is concentrated, deep, dense and slightly dusty, with dry, very fine cocoa-powdery tannins lending structure. The wine is very precise, with a medium to full body, a tight, grainy texture and vibrant acidity to balance. Blackberries, blueberries and notes of garrigue and dark chocolate linger on a savoury finish.
Review:
Using fruit from two exceptional Swartland sources – Goldmine and mostly Porseleinberg – this foudre-aged Syrah is fresh, subtle and intensely aromatic, as schist Syrahs often tend to be. Complex, floral and refined with remarkable freshness and palate length. Drink: 2020-2028.
– Tim Atkin MW, 95/100
Luis Canas Rioja Crianza is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Garnacha
A classic style Rioja from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries.. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Made from 95% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha of 30 years of age, the wine shows a ruby red color, a clean nose with nuances of balsamic, plum and cedar. The palate is smooth and velvety, complex and structured, with fruit, spice flavors with toasted oak. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.
The harvest
This year in Rioja Alavesa the weather has been especially cold, the summer short and dry, and there has been plenty of rain in early September. This has produced wines with great aromatic notes, particularly those coming from high altitude areas, very fragrant and with great structure.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega and passing the selection table, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex wines, suitable for prolonged aging. The wine is clarified with vegetable gelatines and follows anicrobic filtration.
It is ideal to pair with meats; red meat, poultry, small game, oily fish, semi-cured cheeses, spicy dishes and hot dishes such as beans or potatoes Rioja style.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for a minimum of 12 months. It is then bottled for at least another 12 months.
Review:
"Juicy Bing cherries, peppery herbs, leather, and cedarwood notes all emerge from the 2021 Rioja Crianza, a medium-bodied, concentrated, round, layered red that has supple tannins, beautiful fruit, and a great finish. This classic Rioja has tons to love."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 91 pts
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