According to a Wine Spectator article, Résonance , Maison Louis Jadot’s first winery outside of Burgundy, was due to open its visitor center this summer. That meant it would be open in time for my most recent road trip to Oregon Wine Country. The Résonance website didn’t yet have information about visiting the property. However, the Oregon winery’s social media feeds made mention of wine and food experiences. Be still my heart!
An email inquiry resulted in a timely reply from Karen Kissane, Hospitality Manager, with a couple of options.
Wine and Food Experiences at Résonance
Vineyard Tour & Seated Tasting
$45/person, $30 with membership
Enjoy a glass of Résonance Rosé as we explore our Certified Organic estate vineyard. We will finish with a curated flight of four wines accompanied with a local cheese plate.
Please allow for 60 minutes for the experience. Tastings are $45 per person and hosted daily at 11am and 3pm, weather permitting and by reservation only. 48-hour advance notice required.
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What Grows Together, Goes Together
Terrior Provisions Tasting – $75/person, $45 with membership
This unique terrior tasting highlights 6 single vineyard wines, both current and past vintages, along with locally sourced seasonal provisions representing a sense of place.
This immersive seated experience is hosted in the communal, yet intimate setting of our Résonance Room.
Please allow 90 minutes for the experience. Tastings are $75 per person and hosted Wednesdays-Sundays at 11am, by reservation only. 48-hour advance notice required.
Based on anticipated arrival time, I scheduled the Vineyard Tour & Seated Tasting for my husband and myself.
Arriving at Résonance
Although we visit Carlton annually, our time is usually spent in the small yet significant core area of the town within the well-respected Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area. Résonance is about five minutes west of that district. The drive offers an idyllic scene that initially provides a sense of calm. Then, heading up the hillside to the property, that peaceful feeling transforms into one of anticipation.
From our parked car, we walk among old growth trees towards the impressive new Résonance Tasting Room. Rather than channeling a faux Chateaux, the building has a distinct Oregon vibe that emulates the local barns. As we round the corner of the building we come across a sprawling terrace. It is dotted with seating that enables guests to combine their wine tasting with a beautiful vista overlooking the vineyards and a hillside.
The Résonance Experience
As much as we’d love to linger on the patio, we head inside the spacious tasting room to check in for our appointment. Our guide, Ibis, graciously hands us each a glass of Résonance Rosé and begins our tour. We head toward the certified organic dry-farmed vineyard and walk through rows of young vines. The soil is tilled frequently, and with each step my feet sink into the pillowy terrain. Plan accordingly, this is not the place to wear heels or open toed shoes (p.s. a vineyard never is).
Heading back inside the spacious building, we explore a luxurious meeting space available for rental, a tricked out kitchen for special events, a lovely space for private tastings, and then return to the comfortable tasting room where a local cheese plate for each of us awaits in a semi-private corner.
We settle in and Ibis pours the Hyland Vineyard Chardonnay, tells us a bit about it, and leaves us to linger over the wine and cheese. She returns regularly to pour another wine for us. The four wines in our flight are all lovely. The Chardonnay and butter cheese are a particularly sublime pairing. After lingering over the wines, we purchase the Rosé, Chardonnay, and 3 bottles of Pinot Noir. Pricing on the wines currently ranges from $24 to $80.
If you’re looking for a moment of luxury in Oregon Wine Country, plan to visit Carlton. Résonance offers the opportunity to experience world class wine among organic vineyards and a pastoral setting.