Nicolas-Jay is the Willamette Valley partnership between Burgundy winemaker Jean-Nicolas Méo and former music executive Jay Boberg. Jay and Jean-Nicolas bought the famed Bishop Creek Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton AVA in 2014 and officially launched their project in 2016 with the release of their 2014 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.
Jean-Nicolas is the winemaker and owner of Domaine Méo-Camuzet, a winery that has been in the Méo family for more than four centuries. Mentored by Henri Jayer, Jean-Nicolas is largely considered one of the finest pinot noir producers in the world. He was first exposed to Oregon's terroir at the 1991 IPNC, where he met many of the Willamette Valley's pioneers. With Nicolas-Jay, Jean-Nicolas saw an exciting and inspiring opportunity to take a lifetime of experience in Burgundy and apply it to a unique place with a vibrant wine community.
Jay founded I.R.S. Records and went on to become the president of MCA/Universal Records, which he directed for more than 10 years. Throughout his life, Jay has made his avocation his vocation. During his remarkable music career, he launched and fostered some of the most influential artists in the past three decades. He also developed a passion for wine that would lead him to approach his longtime friend Jean-Nicolas in 2012 about making wine in Oregon. "Nicolas-Jay is about making the very best pinot noir we can possibly make," Jay explains. "It is also about building something together that one day we hope our kids will be a part of. When you look at the great domaines of the world, these two ideas go hand in hand."
As an integral to the team, Associate Winemaker Tracy Kendall utilizes winemaking experience gained in New Zealand, Australia, Washington, and Oregon to help guide winemaking and viticulture at Nicolas-Jay. Working alongside some of the top winemakers around the world, Tracy is one of the rising stars in the Willamette Valley. Combining a gifted palate with an exceptional understanding of viticulture and fermentation science, Tracy works with Jean-Nicolas and Jay to orchestrate day-to-day winemaking at Nicolas-Jay, while also contributing her insights and acumen to the overall direction of the winery.
More information: nicolas-jay.com
Photo right by Easton Richmond.
Feature photo by Matthew Luczy
