Marchesi Frescobaldi, a wine dynasty that includes such famed Italian estates as Ornellaia and Masseto, publicly announced Monday the signing of an agreement to purchase Domaine Roy & fils. The Dundee-based winery is one of the Willamette Valley’s top pinot noir and chardonnay producers.
The transaction was announced by Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi, whose family has produced wine in Tuscany since the early 1300s. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of July 2023, were not disclosed.
Domaine Roy & fils was founded in 2012 by Quebec native Marc-Andre’ Roy and winemaker Jared Etzel. The two men followed a path taken by their fathers, Robert Roy and Michael G. Etzel, who, in 1991, partnered to launch Beaux Frères winery in Newberg.
Marc-Andre’ Roy possessed what Etzel described in a phone conversation as “controlling interest” in the Domaine Roy & fils. Etzel had a minority interest as well as making the wine. Roy and Etzel were joined early on in their Domaine Roy & fils quest by 26 Quebec-based investors.
When the sale becomes final, Marc-Andre’ Roy will continue joint leadership of the Domaine Roy & fils winery in collaboration with the Frescobaldi family as a member of the Board of Directors and as a minority owner in the Oregon winery. Etzel will remain in his capacity as winemaker.
Domaine Roy & fils owns two estate vineyards totaling 40 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay vines – Iron Filbert in the Dundee Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA) and Quartz Acorn in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. The winery facility and tasting room are located on Worden Hill Road in Dundee.
According to Jared Etzel, Lamberto Frescobaldi was impressed by the two vineyards and the Willamette Valley as a whole during a visit to Oregon. “He’s quite a pinot noir fan,” Etzel said.
Frescobaldi expressed his eagerness to begin working in Oregon in a press release.
“At this stage of our expansion, we decided to seize the opportunity to acquire the beautiful Domaine Roy & fils winery in Oregon, one of the best regions in the world for pinot noir. To become part of such a community is a dream come true,” Frescobaldi said.
The original 26 Canadian investors will no longer be a part of Domaine Roy & fils after the deal is finalized. Etzel said that the winery wasn’t their primary business and that without the passion close proximity brings, the decision was made to pursue other adventures.
Due to this acquisition, will there be changes at Domaine Roy & fils? Etzel said, “Yes, but every one of them will be geared toward making even better wines.”
Etzel said Marchesi Frescobaldi would make significant capital investments in the vineyards and the cellar, covering everything from tractors to a new state-of-the-art wine press. “This winery is my baby, and I’m extremely happy to keep making the wines here without the budgetary constraints of the past,” Etzel said.
In addition to new equipment, Etzel said he was looking forward to working closely with Marchesi Frescobaldi’s winemaking team, particularly Nicolo D’Afflitto. Afflitto is the renowned winemaker who directs the winemaking for all of the Italian producer’s prestigious estates.
“It will be a good, respectful collaboration,” Etzel said.
By appointment, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., daily, 8351 N.E. Worden Hill Road, Dundee, domaineroy.com or hospitality@domaineroy.com.
— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine