Holocene: Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for the Ages
The Holocene wines are some of the most exciting wines I’ve seen out of Oregon in the past few years. They’re very small production wines, typically only a few hundred cases of each bottling. The wines are made with precision and poise but without too much winemaking input. Native yeasts, minimal intervention, modest use of oak. The purity of all the wines is compelling, as is their vibrancy and transparent sense of place. I was so impressed with the last set of wines I tasted from Holocene, we went directly to the winery to bring this entire range of wines into stock as each and everyone deserve to be showcased. Wines of this quality, massive critical acclaim, and miniscule-production are rarely inexpensive. That said, we managed to negotiate some very sharp pricing even on these highly rated new releases. These wines stand up to the very best in the country. In their youth they really benefit from a good splash in the decanter and serve in your finest Burgundy stemware for full effect.
2024 Holocene "Aureolin" Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay $49.95 (Elsewhere $80) 98IWR 97OB 97WE Living up to its name with a shimmering, crystalline, golden color, the 2024 Aureolin is a subtly powerful wine with an understated nose but intense minerality and liquid stone like quality on the palate. As the wine warms in the glass juicy citrus notes appear, crunchy quince, white flowers, lemon verbena, struck flint, shaved oak. Taught and mouthwatering, a long life ahead. Treat it like a Grand Cru Chablis.
2024 Holocene "Pyxis" Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay $49.95 (Elsewhere $70) 97IWR 97OB 96DC The most experimental of Holocene’s Chardonnays, but in reality the wine is far less esoteric on the palate than it sounds when described. The wine is aged entirely in clay amphora and allowed to partially oxidize, even a light flor develops on the wine. Despite this, this wine reminds me of the ouillé (topped off) wines of Jura rather than the very oxidative Vin Jaune style. The wine has lovely floral tones, orchard fruit, salt dough, hints of nut oil, and saline minerals. Very complex and thought provoking wine.
2023 Holocene "Codex" Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $39.95 (Elsewhere $50) 96IWR 95OB 94DC 94WE Codex is the best way to check out Holocene’s style with a very modest price of admission. Made from declassified barrels of the single vineyard wines, but entirely produced with world-class fruit and the same care and precision in the cellar. Black raspberry, spiced citrus peel, rosehip, baking spice. More supple and accessible as a young wine than the rest of the lineup, but the pedigree is clear to see here. Incredible value for excellent Pinot Noir.
2023 Holocene "Sidereal" Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir $54.95 (Elsewhere $80) 97IWR 97OB 95WE From a small vineyard in Ribbon Ridge, a small sub-AVA known for producing powerful, luxurious, ageworthy Pinot Noir. Made entirely from Pommard Clone, this is a step up in weight and concentration from the Codex, but still a bright, energetic style with 100% whole-clusters used and abv in the low 13% realm. Hints of forest floor and brambly, deep red fruit shows this wine's Pommard clone identity. Great substance and presence on the palate with fine grained but grippy tannins alluding to the wines potential to cellar beautifully.
2023 Holocene "Apocrypha" Chehalem Mountains Pinot Noir $59.95 (Elsewhere $80) 97IWR 97WE 97OB Impressive wine here and one that most definitely will age beautifully in the cellar. There's very much a slightly veiled, brooding core of earthy fruit here. Some pretty rose petal and forest berries, but the structure is coiled and not ready to unfurl quite yet. With a few hours decant the wine shows smoky spices, amaro like alpine herbs and dark cherry. Very serious wine. Gevery Chambertain would be my Burgundian reference point. An exciting wine with huge potential upside.
2023 Holocene "Memorialis" Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir $59.95 (Elsewhere $80) 98WE 97IWR 96OB I found the Memorialis as the most open and effusive of the high-end Pinots from Holocene. Slightly more red-fruited, with ripe raspberry, alpine strawberry, pomegranate, winter spices and dried rose petal. Very silky, fine tannins, with a lifted, ethereal textural and lovely innermouth perfume. Volnay perhaps? But to be honest, Burgundian references can only take you so far, these stunning wines from Holocene and pure Oregon don't need to be compared to anything, they’re incredible wines that speak for themselves with perfect enunciation.