Nicolas Jay Chardonnay Affinites 2021

There’s a mini-trend of Burgundian masters making wine in Oregon. Jean-Nicolas Meo and his old friend, Jay Boberg, is a super-exciting example of just why this trend is such a good thing.

Burgundians know their Pinot Noir, and they recognize the excellent promise of Oregon's terroir. It started with Drouhin, decades ago. But others have followed, and the latest to strike is Vosne-Romanee super-star, Jean-Nicolas Meo of Domaine Meo-Camuzet.

These Burgundians have multi-generational wine wisdom, and see things that others may have missed. Like when Jean-Nicolas and Jay heard about Bishop Creek, a vineyard nobody would buy because the vines were too densely packed, and too hard to work.

Wait a minute, did someone say densely packed vineyards? Isn't that what they do over in Burgundy? Exactly! Higher density plantings force the roots down deep, improving the wine's complexity. Burgundians figured this out long ago. So where others saw a major pain, Jean-Nicolas saw opportunity.

The vineyard has other advantages. There’s a good clonal mix of vines that are over 30 years old—pretty old by Oregon standards—a number of them ungrafted. And it’s a site that produces highly-structured, powerful wines.

If you've tasted Meo’s Burgs, you know that something magical happens in those cellars; some of those wines stand among the very greatest in the world. With even just a little bit of this magic in Oregon, you have something very exciting going on. "I'm not making Burgundies," Meo told us. "I'm making Oregon Pinot Noir."

He and Jay are in fact making great Oregon Pinot Noir.