Why Abbott Claim Shows Oregon’s Enduring Allure to Burgundy’s Wineries

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While the quality of the wines made in Oregon speaks for itself, one of the trends that really got people interested in its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in recent years was the influx of people with roots in Burgundy. Now you can add winemaker Alban Debilleau to the famous Burgundian names. DeBoulio earned a master’s degree in enology in Burgundy and made wine there before moving to Beaver State, where he first worked at Domaine Drohin and elsewhere before joining Abbott’s claim. With owner Antony Beck, Dibeville Crafts, Yamhill Carlton and Eola use classic techniques in the vineyard and winery for pint noir and chardonnay from estate plots in the Amity Hills. The newly released 2022 vintage proves Abbott’s claim to be a worthy addition to Oregon’s Burgundian-inspired wines.

Of course, the region and its wines aren’t mere carbon copies of Burgundy – and the difference in geology is one reason. The Côte d’Or rest on top of 200-million-year-old Jurassic limestone, while the Willamette Valley rests on much younger, more acidic soils. Avas at Yamhill Carlton and Ribbon Ridge stand on 55-million-year-old marine sediments, while Avas in the Eula-et Hills and Dundee Hills sit on 12-million-year-old volcanic soils. Debeau also draws a distinction between climates: the Willamette Valley is strongly influenced by the nearby cold Pacific Ocean, with wet winters but hot, very dry summers, while Burgundy has a continental climate with regular rainfall during the growing season.

There are also notable differences among vines. “In Burgundy, decades of careful plant selection and agronomic refinement, combined with the ubiquity of very old vines and an intimate knowledge of the terroirs, have produced vine genetics of unique and exceptionally fine qualities,” says Debivelio. Meanwhile, in Oregon, vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay produced along the West Coast over the past century, shaped by American terroir, or with French clonal selections imported in the 1970s and 1980s.

“I think it’s a great thing for the Willamette Valley that the wine is being compared to Burgundy, and I think the conversation is only going to solidify the region’s position in the market,” says Chris Dunaway, wine director for Little Nile, Colo., who currently works on the winery’s 2019 Ab Clam Vineyard Pint Noir and 2021 Avalon. Comparisons between regions serve Oregon well. While Dunaway knows Burgundy is popular “for all the right reasons,” he also knows the prices it fetches make it hard to justify the expense of many meals. “Fortunately for me, I have a large number of international travelers during the ski season who want to dive into the list and drink American.” “Abbott claims to be producing some seriously sensational wines at exceptionally competitive prices against white and red Burgundy.” A staunch proponent of Willamette Valley Burgundy-influenced wines, Dunaway also pours Domaine Drohin, Land of Syria, Nicolas-Jay, and Zana Franca. He explains Rob Report This Abbott claims the Chardonnay has “the nervous, salty mineral tension of a great white Burgundy with impressive length and vertical substance.”

Abbott Clem owner Beck, better known in South Africa for his wines at Graham Beck and Steinberg, turned his sights to the Pacific Northwest after what he calls a serendipitous meeting with Oregon Pinot Noir pioneer Ken Wright. A fan of the likes of Bergström wines, Beaux-Frères, and bottles from Eveningland, Beck jumped at the chance to buy Abbott Kalam Vineyard when it became available. In Oregon, Beck continues to implement the sustainable practices for which he is known at his South African properties as well as at his family’s horse farm, Gainesway, in Lexington, Ky., where he maintains a 1,600-acre registered arboretum with approximately 900,900 plant species, including 70 oak varieties grown by his mother. “It only makes sense for us to bring that sensitivity to Oregon where we’re physically farming, increasing soil health with compost and cover crops, lighting up acres of Oregon white oaks, or working with neighbors to preserve and develop native pollinator habitat,” he said. He also wanted to bring a European perspective and sensibility to his work in the Beaver State, which is why he brought in DeBoleau.

For his part, Debeau isn’t sure the techniques he uses are strictly what one would call Burgundian. “They are simple, traditional methods that can be found in many regions: organic viticulture, native fermentation, long aging in cool, moist cellars. Long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long “There are long, long, long, and long parts.” “I think our tendency to see and understand variation within vineyards at a very granular level could be called Burgundian, but not a technique.” He believes that the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from any region will show “fineness, power, energy, length and depth,” displaying aromatic and textural characteristics specific to the site. Although he says Willamette Valley wines may show riper fruit character, low acidity, and high alcohol degrees, “the Willamette Valley has a collection of thoughtful, committed producers who push quality to new heights and compete with Old World producers.”

Andy Chabot, senior vice president of food and beverage at The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Tenn., believes that while diners previously chose wines from Oregon because they were cheaper alternatives to Burgundy, he now thinks Willamette Valley wines have their own strong branding. Abbott claims that instead of ordering a bottle from his list, Nicolas-Jay, Domaine Drohin, or Langue Franca strictly because of the price difference between them and Burgundy, “I find that they ask for Oregon wines because they love them.” “There’s something about Oregon Chardonnay that walks the line between Burgundy to California’s Sonoma Coast and Puligny-Montrachet that’s at once in all its essence and at the same time comparable to these two great Chardonnay-producing regions.” And they say that Willamette Pinots are “elegant, pure, and exhibit a much deeper red or even bluer fruit profile than you’d expect to find in either California or Burgundy.”

As much as DeBoulio doesn’t entirely buy the comparison drawn between Burgundy and Oregon, that doesn’t stop him from relating the story of one of his wines to a small parcel called Oriente, a small parcel within the Abbot claim that was blind-tasted a few years ago by a group of advanced sommeliers. “The consensus was that it was the Vossen Roman premiere,” he says. “Soon afterwards, with similar results, the same wine was poured again at Château du Clos de Voget. After all, for him, the deep kinship between the two regions is not in geology or climate, but in spirit, “in the pursuit of humility and excellence, camaraderie through hard work, and understanding that nature is capable of telling a story.” Oregon attracts and sustains growing ties between the regions.”

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