A few years ago, I was lucky to attend “Oregon Pinot Camp”—an annual, full-immersion educational experience. It is hosted by Willamette Valley wineries for the benefit of sommeliers from all over the country, and the winemaker-led tastings, vineyard visits, lectures, and dinners are all invaluable to understanding this truly great terroir for Pinot Noir.
I had two big takeaways from my experience there: (1) I was probably the oldest sommelier in attendance by a good 10 years, which was depressing; and (2) many of the most memorable wines, for me, were white wines. Yes, white wines. Chardonnays especially (and several Rieslings, too). Maybe it’s because I already knew the Pinot Noir was great; the tastings and visits only served to confirm this. The commercial success of its Pinot Gris wines notwithstanding, I didn’t think of Willamette Valley for white wines, though I’m not sure why not—it stands to reason that a cool-climate region well-suited to Pinot Noir would also be hospitable to Chardonnay, among other whites. The upshot? I went to Pinot Noir camp and came away a Chardonnay guy! Today’s Burgundy-esque 2015 from Winderlea is an excellent example as to why—it’s got the same savor, balance, and Old World soul as the Willamette Pinots. If you love to drink Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachet, this wine will strike a similar chord at half the price. It is one of a fast-growing group of very serious—and, like the Pinot Noirs, very affordable—Chardonnays coming out of Oregon. One sip of this and I bet you’ll be a convert, too!
It’s not that Chardonnay is something “new” to the Willamette Valley, but rather that is resurgent, with a growing number of exciting wines justifying a recent swell in vineyard acreage. As I learned back at Pinot Camp, at a seminar titled “Hunting The Great White,” Chardonnay acreage in Willamette Valley has been quite volatile, dictated by the whims of fashion: In the 1960s, when pioneers such as David Lett of Eyrie were planting the foundational vineyards of the region, Chardonnay was the dominant white. In 1986, Chardonnay represented about 23% percent of Oregon’s acreage compared to Pinot Gris’ 3%. Since then, however, Pinot Gris surged and Chardonnay ebbed (down to about 5% in 2012), but it is rapidly on the rise again. In a paper published to accompany the “Great White” seminar, Willamette Valley Vintners spoke of a “Chardonnay renaissance in Oregon,” asserting that “more and more, these wines will define our region as it evolves to be as well-known for white as red.” The press has certainly taken notice, evidenced by
this excellent feature from my pal Elaine Chukan Brown or
this one from Eric Asimov of the
New York Times.
Winderlea proprietor Bill Sweat visited us recently in Sonoma and led us through the property’s impressive range of wines. Based in the Dundee Hills, Winderlea is centered around a “legacy” vineyard first planted in 1974 by John Bauer and previously known as the Dundee Hills Vineyard. Since relocating from Boston to Willamette Valley in 2006, Sweat has augmented this crown-jewel vineyard with purchased fruit from top growers throughout the valley. Today’s Chardonnay carries the broader ‘Willamette Valley’ AVA designation, as it is sourced from three distinct vineyard sites: The Highland Vineyard, in the McMinnville AVA, where 40-year-old Chardonnay grows at 600-800 feet near the mouth of the cool Van Duzer corridor; the Carabella Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountain AVA; and the Thistle Vineyard in the Dundee Hills. The three sites differ slightly in terms of clones planted, elevation, and aspect, but all three are comprised of Willamette Valley’s signature mix of sedimentary loam, wind-blown silt, and volcanic basalt.
The 2015 Willamette Valley Chardonnay was, as Sweat noted, something of a triumph of vineyard management in a warm, dry year—which is to say, it is a crisp and buoyant style that resembles something from a cool year. It was aged 10 months in just 10% new French oak, resulting a well-integrated, fruit-first wine with great energy reminiscent of wines from Chassagne-Montrachet. In the glass, it’s a medium straw-gold with hints of green at the rim, with aromas of just-ripened yellow and green apple, pear, citrus blossoms, wet stones, white flowers, a hint of fresh cream, raw hazelnut, warm spice, and brioche dough. It is medium-bodied, with nice creaminess on the mid-palate, then finishes with a citrusy, mouth-watering lift and highly mineral finish. It has a taut structure that’ll serve it well for aging over the next 5-7 years, but it’s also ready to drink now with pleasure—decant it 15-30 minutes before serving in all-purpose white or Burgundy stems at 50-55 degrees (not too cold or you’ll lose the aromas). To me, it’s more at the ‘fish’ end of the Chardonnay spectrum, as opposed to the ‘roast chicken’ end: the attached wild salmon recipe (very Pacific Northwest) will be a perfect companion to this world-class Chardonnay.
