National Chardonnay Day the Oregon Way
Once upon a time, to order a Chardonnay at a restaurant may have earned you a bit of a side eye from a too-cool-for-school somm. As a backlash to the commercial success of Chardonnay butter bombs in the 80s, many people turned their back on this glorious grape, claiming to be ABCers—or Anything But Chardonnay drinkers. A sadder movement was never born.
Fortunately, this inspired many wineries to evolve in their relationship to this grape, and to turn toward a more elegant, balanced style with oak and malolactic fermentation kept in moderation. We are now seeing this grape reach its greatest heights all over the world—from its ancestral home in Burgundy to Tasmania to the good ol’ U.S. You can find beautiful versions of Chardonnay from nearly every country that makes wine.
We’re here today, on National Chardonnay Day, to celebrate this iconic, global grape, and specifically to celebrate what’s happening with it in Oregon. Early in Oregon’s winemaking history, winemakers planted California clones of Chardonnay, which couldn’t thrive in the cooler northern climate; and thus Pinot Gris took the white wine limelight. Since then, savvy growers have planted Dijon clones and others more suited to the cool weather, resulting in an exciting Chardonnay renaissance. Now: Oregon has the right grapes planted in the right soil, with a good decade or two of age to the vines and a good decade or two of experience for the winemakers. They have an organic/sustainable ethos that drives the region in a more far-reaching than I’ve seen anywhere else. And the wines are a testament to how all these factors are currently coming together to create a thriving wine scene. Pinot Noir definitely put Oregon wine on the map, but Chardonnay is no doubt becoming a major contender, and, if the bottles we have on our shelves are any indicator, the future looks incredibly bright for Oregon Chard.
Keep reading to see which bottles our Domestic Buyers, Ryan Woodhouse and Kaj Stromer, are most excited about.
Ryan Woodhouse:
Oregon is well known for producing top quality, world-class Pinot Noir that often strikes a balance between the generally more fruit-driven styles of California and the more savory, earthy wines of Burgundy. However, I'm still convinced that the most magical wines coming from the Willamette Valley are actually those made from Chardonnay. Here are a few of my current favorites to check out:
2018 Eyrie "Estate" Dundee Hills Chardonnay $24.95
Eyrie is one of the founding wineries in the Willamette Valley. This estate-grown Chardonnay is two-thirds from the original, own-rooted vines, planted in 1963. Growing on the gentle slopes of the Dundee Hills, these old vines reach deep into the red, volcanic Jory soils with no need for irrigation. The vineyard is farmed according to meticulous organic and a biodynamic principles, and the wine is lovingly crafted in a traditional Burgundian manner by one of the most revered winemakers in the state, Jason Lett. This wine certainly reads like it is going to be $75-$100...fortunately for Chardonnay lovers out there, this complex, layered, filigreed wine is an absolute steal at $24.95!
2018 Arterberry Maresh Dundee Hills Chardonnay $24.95
Another one of the finest values in Oregon (if not global) Chardonnay is the Dundee Hills bottling from Arterberry Maresh. This wine combines estate-grown fruit from own-rooted vines planted in 1983 with dry-farmed fruit from neighboring Webber Vineyard and Dux Vineyards, all located in the same Worden Hill Road sub-region of Dundee Hills. Made in a Chablis-esque style with all neutral oak, pronounced minerality, and a racy acid line. There is however lovely ripeness to the fruit with honeysuckle aromas, baked pears, walnut brittle and freshly baked bread. I love the balance of richness and restraint. A very satisfying and versatile bottle of Chardonnay.
2015 Westrey "Oracle Vineyard" Dundee Hills Chardonnay $24.95 (Previously $45)
We only have a few cases of this wine so if it appeals to you, grab it quick. Westrey's Oracle Vineyard is again one of the older plantings in the region. This bottle is sourced from 1977-planted vines of Draper Selection massale taken from St. Helena in Napa. With a few years in bottle now this wine is evolving a wonderful complexity and sublime textural elegance. Reminds me of Corton, quite powerful and broad, but with an underpinning of structure and phenolic density. A very serious wine that you can contemplate as it unravels in the glass. Golden stone fruits, flint, almond paste, stone ground flour, and brown butter. Fascinating wine, drinking beautifully right now.
Kaj Stromer:
2019 Big Table Farm "The Wild Bee" Willamette Valley Chardonnay $29.95
Brian Marcy and Clare Carver are the driving force behind this 70-acre farm. They raise animals, grow vegetables, and make honey. This is about as pure of a farming ethos as you'll come across in wine country. Their wines are always creating a buzz at the shop as access to them is limited. The Wild Bee is a blend of seven vineyard sites throughout Eola-Amity, Dundee, van Duzer, and Yamhill-Carlton. The wine is fermented in mostly used oak to round the texture, but the intensity of the fruit is the driver. This gorgeous bottling offers up plenty of ripe pear, vanilla spiced almonds, and key lime pie. There's great acidity to carry it softly across your palate leaving you with a long finish of honeysuckle, papaya, and a touch of salinity.
2017 Evening Land "Seven Springs Vineyard" Eola-Amity Chardonnay $34.95
Raj Par and Sashi Moormon's foray into Oregon winemaking resulted in the acquisition of the much-heralded Evening Land winery and famed Seven Springs Vineyard. The vineyard has been farmed biodynamically for years, driven by the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, the father of Biodynamics. The fruit is sourced from the rockier areas of the vineyards mid-slope, which I believe adds a mineral component to the wine. There’s a touch of reduction on the nose reminiscent of 1er cru Puligny-Montrachet. Not a vintage goes by that I don't think that this is one of my favorite Chardonnays from Oregon. Another fine effort.
2017 Domaine Serene "Evenstad Reserve" Dundee Hills Chardonnay $64.95
Here's a winery that needs no introduction. Grace and Ken Evenstad have spared no expense or effort in creating one of Oregon’s Grand Cru estates. Since their first vintage in 1990, they've probably garnered more awards and top reviews and any other single estate in Oregon. But, while most people think of their Pinot Noir, I'd argue that it's their Chardonnay that is their most spectacular wine. Sure, it's a bit pricey, but truly great wine is rarely inexpensive. Still, at $65 it competes head-to-head with most of the great Chardonnay around the world. The Reserve Chardonnay is a selection of the best barrels from a specific vintage. This exotic offering presents itself like Grand Cru white Burgundy. The fruit offers up plenty of Kiwi and peach that's framed by white flower and a dusting of wood spice. This is spectacular today but can surely age another five plus years and evolve nicely. I must add, this is about as good as it gets.
