History of Nicolas Jay
Jean-Nicolas and Jay became friends in 1988, when Jean-Nicolas was studying abroad in the United States. During a chance meeting at a house party in Philadelphia, they bonded over shared philosophies about life, music, and wine. When Jean-Nicolas returned to France and immersed himself in his family’s renowned domaine, and Jay built IRS Records into a seminal indie label, they stayed friends over the next quarter century. During this time, they shared an interest in the quality and potential of Oregon Pinot Noir, which Jay had been enjoying since 1983, and Jean-Nicolas first explored when attending the International Pinot Noir Celebration in the Willamette Valley in 1991.
Their mutual love of Pinot Noir drew them to the north Willamette Valley. The viticulture and winemaking at Nicolas-Jay are informed by years of working the soils of Burgundy’s Grand Crus, and an understanding of old vine sites, including our own organically farmed estate Bishop Creek Vineyard. Most recently, we have taken those learnings and applied them to our 53-acre Dundee Hills Estate. It is from these unique sites that Jean-Nicolas, Jay, and assistant winemaker Noah Roberts craft Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Viens avec nous.
A visit to the Willamette Valley in 2011 inspired Jay to pursue his lifelong passion for wine, and he approached Jean-Nicolas about starting a winery together in Oregon. Jean-Nicolas was excited by the idea of making wine in a new region, bringing with him what he’s learned over 25 years of making wine in Burgundy’s Grand Crus and Premiers Crus.
The friends began a dedicated exploration of the Willamette Valley, visiting top winegrowing sites. The search took them to dozens of vineyards, wineries, and cellars, where they tasted barrel samples and finished single-vineyard Pinot Noir. During one blind tasting of 20 different vineyards, both Jay and Jean-Nicolas were wowed by a wine made from the grapes at Bishop Creek Vineyard. It was distinctive, complex, and elegant, with a beautifully perfumed nose. Although they had not intended to buy a vineyard, when they learned that Bishop Creek was for sale, they knew they could not pass up the opportunity. To complement the exceptional estate fruit from Bishop Creek Vineyard, Jean-Nicolas, Jay, and Noah established relationships with a handful of the finest vineyards in the region. Nicolas-Jay works closely with the talented people who farm these sites to his rigorous specifications.
“We make the kind of wines we love to drink,” says Jay. “Elegant wines, with beautiful, complex aromatics and pure, lovely fruit – wines that evolve in the glass, and in the cellar. To achieve this, we start with the best vineyards, practice respectful farming, and strive to make our wines with sincerity. This means having good intentions as winemakers, and respecting the character of the wine.”
Our Philosophy
We approach our winemaking with a steadfast belief in true artisanship, a passion for discovery, and a deep respect for the land. Jean-Nicolas brings Burgundian traditions to our winemaking while aiming to express the natural elegance of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
As stewards of the land, and passionate oenophiles, we endeavor to discover and reflect the pure expression of our vineyards’ unique terroir. Our winemaking facility is built into the hillside, allowing for gravity flow during harvest. We have two temperature-controlled barrel rooms for proper elevage year-round, and a twelve-person sorting line for the meticulous sorting of fruit that Jean-Nicolas has employed as winemaker at Domaine Méo-Camuzet.
Our Team
Jean-Nicolas Méo
Cofounder and Winemaker
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Cofounder and Winemaker: As the owner and winemaker of the Cote D ‘Ors famed Domaine Meo-Camuzet, Jean-Nicolas Meo’s path to Oregon’s Willamette Valley first went through the great grands crus of Burgundy, where he spent nearly 30 years making wines from legendary vineyards like Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Corton Clos Rognet and Echezeaux. In 2012, inspired by a three-decade interest in the quality and potential of Oregon’s Pinot Noirs, Jean-Nicolas partnered with his longtime friend, Jay Boberg, to found Nicolas-Jay in the Willamette Valley. At Nicolas-Jay, Jean-Nicolas applies insights gained from his experience making Pinot Noirs from some of the world’s greatest winegrowing sites to craft exciting and elegant Pinot Noirs that authentically show the terroir of the Willamette Valley, and some of its very finest vineyards.
Jean-Nicolas began his career in wine in 1989, when he left Paris and moved to Burgundy to guide his family’s domaine. As many of the metayeurs (sharecroppers) who leased his family’s coveted vineyard land began to retire, Jean-Nicolas made the decision to slowly start reclaiming the land for Meo-Camuzet’s own bottlings. This was a bold new direction for a domaine that had long been overseen from Paris. Finding that he enjoyed the rhythms of country life, and the challenges of running a winery, Jean-Nicolas began a period of intense modernization. To help during this period of transition, Jean-Nicolas was mentored by the great Henri Jayer, who had been making wines from some of Meo-Camuzet’s finest parcels for decades. From Henri, Jean-Nicolas gained a deep and lasting love of wine, and an appreciation for the more sensual side of Pinot Noir. At the same time, he began defining his own signature style, with an emphasis on depth, refinement and impeccable balance – a style that has catapulted Meo-Camuzet to fame, and earned Jean-Nicolas respect as one of the finest Pinot Noir winemakers in the world.
Though Jean-Nicolas has deep roots in Burgundy, he has long nurtured an appreciation for Pinot Noirs from other parts of the world – most notably for the wines of Oregon, which he first discovered while attending the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Willamette Valley in 1991. There, Jean-Nicolas met many of the region’s early pioneers, and had an opportunity to explore the remarkable potential of its wines. “I loved the valley’s Burgundy-like charm and mentality, with its dedicated farmers, and small, family-run wineries committed to making wines of great character,” says Jean-Nicolas.
For Jean-Nicolas, the opportunity to take a lifetime of experience in Burgundy and apply it to a new region, a new climate, new soils and new vineyards is both exciting and inspiring. “I have great respect for what has already been achieved in Oregon. It is a remarkable place with a vibrant wine community that we are thrilled to be a part of,” says Jean-Nicolas. In keeping with his belief in being hands-on, Jean-Nicolas spends nearly two months in Oregon each season, travelling regularly to the region throughout spring, summer and harvest to oversee the viticulture and winemaking alongside Noah and Jay. “We see Nicolas-Jay as a collaboration,” adds Jean-Nicolas. “A collaboration between the three of us, between Burgundian and Oregonian ideas, and between Nicolas-Jay and our growers. Together, we want to create wines that are distinctive and exciting. We also see this as a unique opportunity to build something together that we hope will go on for generations, and have the same kind of significance 100 years from now as Meo-Camuzet.”
Jay Boberg
Cofounder
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Throughout Jay’s life, he has made his avocation his vocation. Following his passion for music, Jay cofounded the seminal indie record label IRS Records at the age of 21. A tenure as president of MCA/Universal Records in his mid-30s followed. Throughout his formidable career, he launched or fostered some of the most influential music artists of the past three decades, including R.E.M., The Go-Go’s, Blink-182, Mary J. Blige, Sublime, The Roots, and B.B. King.
The founding of Nicolas-Jay marks the next act in his remarkable professional life—and the culmination of a lifelong love affair with wine. Jay has immersed himself in the world of viticulture and winemaking, working alongside his longtime friend Jean-Nicolas, and is deeply involved in every aspect of Nicolas-Jay. Spending close to six months a year in the Willamette Valley, Jay is both the dynamic guiding force behind Nicolas-Jay and its most committed cellar rat—taking samples, driving the fruit from the vineyards, sorting grapes, doing punch-downs, and whatever else needs doing in the winery or tasting room.
Jay’s love of wine started early. While he worked at IRS Records, he formed wine tasting groups with industry friends. He began working with Kermit Lynch and other importers to hold winemaker dinners as part of promoting music events.
“There are so many parallels between wine and music,” says Jay. “Both are driven by personal recommendations—one friend telling another—and they both enhance and enrich our lives by creating emotional connections. There are certain wines, like certain albums, that move you and stay with you forever.” For Jay, whether from Burgundy or the Willamette Valley, these unforgettable wines are almost always Pinot Noirs.
Noah Roberts
Assistant Winemaker
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Noah has been overseeing the Nicolas-Jay cellar for the past 3 years, working alongside Jean-Nicolas. He is the driving force behind a lot of the hard work and heavy lifting in the cellar. Noah has made wine in the both northern and southern hemispheres, in Oregon, Australia and New Zealand. He brings 12 years of cellar experience to the team.
Ryan Easley
Hospitality & Tasting Room Manager
Kevin Schlachter
Director of National Sales
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Kevin began his career over 20 years ago working for Young’s Market Company managing brands, sales and people from California, to Washington and then to Oregon. A member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators, Kevin brings a foundation of wine knowledge and enthusiasm to the Nicolas-Jay Estate as he presents the brand to top accounts across the US.
Hannah Kloft
Marketing Coordinator and Cellar Hand
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With a background in media and cellar experience spanning four vintages in Oregon, California, Chile, and New Zealand, Hannah combines her skills in storytelling with her love for winemaking in her home state at Nicolas-Jay.