Let’s face it: You likely haven’t had much exposure to Oregonian Chardonnays, and that’s no fault of yours. Up until recently Pinot Noir has dominated the fine wine conversation in the Willamette Valley, and now Chardonnay has found its voice here as well: Today’s wine from Brick House delivers everything you could possibly want in a classically styled, ‘Burgundian’ Chardonnay, only at a radically reduced price in comparison to, say, a stylish Chassagne-Montrachet.
This is where America’s young (comparatively speaking) winemaking scene comes into play, and works to our advantage! Organic and biodynamic certifications? You bet. Native fermentations and long barrel aging? Again, yes. Unfined and unfiltered? Three for three. But the price remains low, far beneath white Burgundies with famous villages and Premier Crus plastered across their labels. In the same way that it has become perhaps the premier terroir for Pinot Noir in the New World, the Willamette Valley has found its footing with Chardonnay—and the results, exemplified by Brick House’s 2014 “Cascadia,” can be downright thrilling. There’s some real Old World nobility in this under-$40 bottle, and while we can offer up to six bottles per customer today, some of you will undoubtedly agree that’s not enough!
An immersive career as a foreign correspondent for CBS took Brick House founder Doug Tunnell all over the world. Though an Oregon native, his vocation allowed him to see the Middle East, Germany, and France. It was the latter that sparked his interest in wine and, during his time in Paris, he learned of an esteemed French winemaker who had just purchased a chunk of land in Willamette Valley’s wilderness to begin Pinot Noir production. That was all the motivation Doug needed: He returned to his home in 1989 and caught wind of a neglected 40-acre farm in the western outskirts of the Chehalem Mountains—the Ribbon Ridge sub-appellation. Even better, it was propitiously wedged between the well-established wineries of Beaux Frères and Bergström in Newberg, Oregon, located in the northwestern reaches of Willamette Valley.
Brick House was formed the following year and organic farming was immediately set into motion (biodynamics followed in 2005). Today, 30 of those Certified Organic and Biodynamic acres are planted to vines and only eight of those to Chardonnay. After harvesting, the fruit is pressed ‘whole cluster’ and a natural fermentation occurs in a variety of French barrels. After aging on its fine lees for 18 months in mostly used French oak, the wine is transferred into stainless steel for several more months of ‘settling’ before being hand-bottled at their winery without fining or filtration. “Cascadia” is their top Chardonnay bottling—chosen only from the best parcels and best barrels of the vintage.
Brick House’s 2014 “Cascadia” Chardonnay pours a deep straw-yellow moving to a clear-tipped rim. Its wonderfully rich nose is accented by a persisting brightness as it erupts with ripe yellow and green apples, lemon meringue, hazelnut, pineapple core, white pear, and candied lime peel that are all intertwined with vanilla, crushed rocks, acacia, and honeysuckle. The energetic palate is nearing medium-plus bodied and delivers ripe, mouthwatering orchard fruits that linger until the next sip. This is firmly structured Chardonnay with brilliant crispness and tension—like those you’d find in Chassagne-Montrachet and its surrounding villages. It does a beautiful job of coating your mouth with supple textures without ever saturating it, thanks to crackling acidity that comes from cool-climate Chardonnay harvested at optimal levels. Treat this like you would a Premier Cru: Pour into large Burgundy stems and serve around 50 degrees after a 30-minute decant. Then, enjoy basking in a wonderful value that delivers an experience eerily similar to a top white Burgundy—just be sure to do so with an equally delicious, match-made-in-heaven pairing. The attached pan-fried snapper in a butter-parsnip purée will light up your evening. Cheers!
