A Guide to Cellaring & Storing Wines
You’re assembling a great collection of wine, and we’re here to share essential tips for keeping your bottles in tiptop shape as you age them to perfection. If space is at a premium, you might consider professional wine storage, but hopefully you can keep at least some of your gems nearby – there’s always that special occasion that will benefit from having your personal favorites on hand.
Storing Wine at Home
When choosing where to store your wine, there are three key factors to consider:
Temperature
Choose a cool area. It is essential to select a storage location with a stable and cool temperature. Ideally, opt for a room that maintains a consistent temperature between 55 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit, avoiding frequent fluctuations. Fluctuations in temperature can cause a wine to age prematurely. Excessive heat can quickly spoil a wine and sometimes cause leakage.
Position
Place bottles horizontally if possible, or cork down if necessary (basically – anything but cork up). Ensuring that the cork stays moist prevents potential oxidation or spoilage caused by a dry cork.
Environment
Keep away from light, vibrations, & other extremes. Few people have a castle handy, but there’s a reason why those dark, cool underground cellars have been such ideal spaces for storing wine over the long-term (some people have experimented with deep ocean storage, but that’s a whole other thing). Just keep your bottles from light and vibration, and aim for ideal humidity between 60-68%.
Cellaring Our Wines
As for when to drink our wine, well, that depends squarely on your own preferences. We have club members who don’t touch our Pinots for 10 years, and others who redorder almost as soon as their shipments arrive. To each their own! But, if you’re curious about Véronique’s recommendations…
Click on the wine you’re interested in to discover the ideal drinking window for your vintage!
Edition Rosé
Crafted exclusively from our Dundee Hills Estate Pinot Noir grapes, the Edition Rosé holds a special place in the hearts of all of us here at the winery, especially during the vibrant seasons of spring and summer. The lightness and crispness make it a delightful companion to a variety of dishes. Our winemaker, Véronique, often says that this wine is best savored swiftly, and it’s true! Rosé is best when enjoyed in and around a year or two of release.
2018: Can Drink – May Be Past Peak
2019: Can Drink – May Be Past Peak
2020: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2021: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2022: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2023: Ready – At Peak Maturity
Pinot Noir Dundee Hills
Since 1988, our Dundee Hills Pinot Noir cuvée has been a cornerstone of our Oregon journey. The first wine crafted by the Drouhin Family in Oregon, this wine is truly the heart of Domaine Drouhin. Coming from the Dundee Hills estate, its elegance, balance, and finesse have been adorning wine lists and personal cellars for more than three decades. Typically, 5-10 years seems to be a sweet spot.
1988 – 1989: Can Drink – May Be Past Peak
1990 – 1994: Ready – At Peak Maturity
1995 – 1996: Can Drink – May Be Past Peak
1997: Best Consumed Young
1998 – 2006: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2007: Can Drink – May Be Past Peak
2008 – 2017: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2018 – 2019: Can Drink – Not Yet At Peak
2020: No Wine Made
2021 – 2022: Can Drink – Not Yet At Peak
Chardonnay Arthur
Chardonnay Arthur, named in honor of Véronique’s son, embodies the vibrant, zesty acidity and mineral essence of the vineyard, complemented by a harmonious richness and impressive length. Crafted solely from 100% Dijon clones, grown on the Drouhin Family Estate in Oregon’s Dundee Hills since 1990, Arthur exemplifies elegance. After a few years, this wine matures quite gracefully.
1994: Best Consumed Young
1995: No Wine Made
1996 – 2012: Can Drink – May Be Past Peak
2013 – 2018: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2019 – 2022: Can Drink – Not Yet At Peak
Pinot Noir Laurène
Named after Véronique’s eldest daughter, Laurène is perhaps our best known cuvée – a beautiful barrel selection crafted from our estate Pinot Noir. Complexity, elegance, length, and depth are all hallmarks of Laurène, which often hits its stride between 10-15 years of age (but we’ve had beautiful bottles that are now 20-25 years old).
1992 – 1996: Ready – At Peak Maturity
1997: Best Consumed Young
1998 – 2016: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2017 – 2019: Can Drink – Not Yet at Peak
2020: No Wine Made
2021: Can Drink – Not Yet at Peak
2022: Hold
Pinot Noir Origine
As a winery, time gives us our greatest gifts: more experience, older vines, and opportunities to pause and listen, to pursue the singular expressions that will eventually become harmonious pieces of a whole. The Origine Pinot Noir is very much an expression of our Dundee Hills estate while also presenting the kinds of nuances and subtleties that have defined Véronique’s work over the course of 36+ years. We debuted with Origine 34, and have since released its follow-up, Origine 35. We expect these wines to have a very long life ahead.
2021: Can Drink – Not Yet at Peak
2022: Can Drink – Not Yet At Peak
Edition Limitée Chardonnay
Our Edition Limitée Chardonnay is known for its grace, intensity, precision, and impressive palate presence. Each harvest, our Chardonnay is hand-picked, sorted, and delicately whole-bunch pressed before going to barrel. As Véronique follows the wine through élevage, she is getting a sense for which barrels seem destined to be together in the small, distinctive selection that becomes Edition Limitée. This cuvée undergoes complete aging in oak, adding an extra dimension of complexity. Expect a graceful evolution over the next 8-10 years.
2004 – 2006: Can Drink, May Be Past Peak
2007: Best Consumed Young
2008 – 2010: Can Drink, May Be Past Peak
2011 – 2019: Ready, At Peak Maturity
2020 – 2022: Can Drink, Not Yet At Peak
Edition Limitée Pinot Noir
The Edition Limitée Pinot Noir is a reflection of Véronique’s history with our Dundee Hills estate over the last three decades. Crafted from two distinct blocks on our property, with very different elevations, the EL Pinot reveals a rich, earthy structure and effortless elegance. This is our only wine to see partial whole cluster fermentation, creating a fresh lift and distinctive texture on the palate. With abundant depth and complexity, the Edition Limitée Pinot Noir should age beautifully over 10-15 years.
2011 – 2012: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2013: No Wine Made
2014 – 2016: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2017 – 2019: Can Drink – Not Yet At Peak
2020: No Wine Made
2021: Can Drink – Not Yet at Peak
2022: Hold
Pinot Noir Cuvée Louise
Named after Véronique’s youngest daughter, Louise represents a genuinely exceptional bottling. With each vintage, Véronique selects a handful of barrels that create a very distinct personality for the wine. Complex, textural, layered and satisfying, Louise ages beautifully for 15-20 years (and possibly more – we’re still discovering).
1999 – 2016: Ready – At Peak Maturity
2017 – 2019: Can Drink – Not Yet At Peak
2020: No Wine Made
2021: Can Drink – Not Yet at Peak
2022: Hold
check out our other blog posts here!
Stay up to date on wine releases and more!
