2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay
2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Wet rocks, glacial air, white spices, lemon balm, spearmint, Key lime curd, Meyer lemon oil.
Vineyards: 100% Willamette Valley Chardonnay from eight vineyards planted between 1984-2019:
36% Blue Heron Farm, Willamette Valley, South Salem Hills, hand-picked 9/20/23
24% Durant Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, hand-picked 9/6/23 & 9/11/23
9% von Oehsen Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/11/23
9% Yamhill Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton, hand-picked 9/16/23
8% Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/18/23 & 9/19/23
6% Temperance Hill Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/21/23
5% Witness Tree Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/7/23
3% X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/15/23 & 9/22/23
Vintage: The 2023 growing season began cool and wet, with late April bringing warmth and dry conditions. Bud break occurred in early to mid-May, followed by bloom in early to mid-June. Fruit set was typical and the vines thrived over a hot and dry July and August. Cooler days and chilly nights arrived in September, with scattered showers that refreshed the vines. Harvest began leisurely with four picks between 9/6 - 9/11. The pace quickened with eight picks between 9/15 - 9/22. Yields were average, and the overall chemistry was good to great. I crushed each lot into the press and extracted more the later the pick. I browned most of the must 6-24 hours before sulfur addition. Vineyard specific pied de cuve was used to initiate fermentation in steel before transferring the must to oak with full solids. In select lots, I added sulfur after fermentation started. Ambient yeasts were highly effective as most lots were bone dry within 10-25 days. More than half of the cellar completed ambient malolactic in November or December 2023. The remainder finished malolactic between April and July 2024 with much more reduction. The wines were blended in steel the last week of August 2024 for a second winter on lees in steel and racked clean in late January 2025. The 2023 vintage has exceptional pedigree and clear site expression. The wines have high acidity, alcohol ranging 12.4%-13.1%. They are beautifully aromatic, crystalline, coiled, full of dry extract, long and structured.
Vinification: A blend of the cellar, each lot was crushed into the press and browned in steel before sulfur. Primary fermentations began with ambient pied de cuve in steel or in barrel, completing in French oak with full solids. The final blend was made after twelve months in a cold cellar from 20% new barrel, 35% once filled puncheon, 25% twice filled puncheon, 20% fourth fill puncheon. The 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay aged an additional six months in stainless steel on lees. Full malolactic, minimal stirring. No fining or filtration. Closed with 49mm DIAM 10.
Chemistry: 6.68 g/L TA | 3.14 pH | 12.5% | 0.6g/L RS | 0.36 g/L VA | .13 g/L malic | ~35ppm SO2 (free)