Behind the Bottle With Domaine Nicolas-Jay

Recently our team had the pleasure of sitting down with Noah Roberts, one of the driving forces behind the Oregon-based label Domaine Nicolas-Jay to talk history, legacy, and the spirit that defines this remarkable estate.

Domaine Nicolas-Jay began as the transatlantic partnership of two visionaries: Jean-Nicolas Méo and Jay Boberg. Jean-Nicolas hails from a storied Burgundian family with deep roots stretching back to the French Revolution. Though his mother’s side owned prized vineyard land, they didn’t farm it themselves until Jean-Nicolas’s great-aunt entrusted him to take the family’s legacy further. At the time, Jean-Nicolas was studying at Penn, but he was determined to do more than just lease out the land. He apprenticed under one of Burgundy’s great winemaking families and took over as winemaker in 1988, crafting wines that earned Méo-Camuzet its place as a benchmark Burgundy house.

Meanwhile, Jay Boberg had built his own legacy in a very different industry. A pioneering music executive, Jay founded a record label in the late 70s, championing artists whose music defined an era. The pair’s paths first crossed through Jay’s sister, and a lifelong friendship began. Years later, when Jay retired from music, he convinced Jean-Nicolas to look west to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a region Jean-Nicolas already knew well through friends and connections.

In 2014, the two purchased the Bishop Creek Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton, planting high-density Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris vines, an homage to Burgundian methods but distinctly Oregon in spirit. Though Bishop Creek now makes up just a quarter of Domaine Nicolas-Jay’s production, it remains an anchor of the estate’s identity. They’ve since expanded into the Dundee Hills and have another exciting site on the horizon this year.

Their wines capture what Oregon does best: cool-climate elegance with an independent streak. “Let’s not make Burgundy in Oregon,” Jean-Nicolas often says. Instead, they embrace what the land gives them, picking at high acidity, aging in barrel to coax balance and nuance, and crafting wines that stand proudly on their own. The 2021 vintage was particularly memorable: a warm season that delivered high acid levels, an unusual twist that inspired the team’s beautifully classic Oregon Chardonnay. They ferment in barrel and use new oak with restraint, focusing on purity over flash.

Today, Domaine Nicolas-Jay is nearly 11 years into this adventure, and their dedication shows in every bottle. Their graceful Pinot Noir, bright Sauvignon Blanc, and refined Chardonnay are testament to what happens when old-world heritage meets new-world promise, and a few kindred spirits who believe that great wine should always tell its own story.