The bottle I tried was open for a while before it got to me. The wine is very rounded and gentle, with soft citric minerality that runs like a cool stream you pass on a hike in autumn.
This was easy going to drink, and a great start to the night. Great wine for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is such a great Oregon Chardonnay. Nose is citrus fruited, lemon, stoney. Palate is reflective of nose, citrus, lemon and minerality. No sharp edges and it rides such a nice line of generosity and nuance. Love the acidity and if my memory serves correct the EtOH comes in around 12 ish. great wine and glad I have more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
DAMN! What a complex drink this is. Didn't get any sulphur/gunflint, but yes to the oystershell minerality, as well as an ever-changing palate that went so well with baked salmon I think i might need to stand on a streetcorner with a sandwich board and megaphone, telling citizens they need this pairing in their lives. We went back and forth between this and a very complicated Noguchi sake that also blew us away.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was tasted in Grassl Liberté glass. The pale yellow-green hue in the glass is very inviting. I'm unsure if it's fined or filtered, but the racking is excellent and appears crystal clear to the eye. Tasted after pop-n-pour on day one and then allowed to sit open uncorked for 24 hours before the second-day tasting.
Day1: Upon pop-n-pour, there is a distinct note of flint, chalk, minerality, and seashells on the nose, with hints of lemon and citrus hiding behind the minerality. On the palate is this wonderful dry chalkiness blended with lemon and grapefruit. Excellent balancing acid without being overpowering. There is so much chalky dryness here that it almost seems like there is some dissolved co2 in the wine. I don't know if there is, but it reminds me of some other wines I like where the winemaker hits it with a bit of co2 during the bottling process to add this layer of complexity and freshness. Regardless, it's very intriguing, and it keeps me wanting more. It seems the wine has gone through malo as it shows some richness in the mouthfeel and is medium viscous on the tongue. I detect no new oak, and according to their website, it's aged in older oak barrels for 11 months and then spends six months in stainless before bottling. The lengthy finish on this wine is what really sets it apart—driven again by this intense minerality and seashells bouncing off the tannins, fruit, and acidity.
Day2: The nose is similar but may be slightly more subdued. The flint, chalk, and sea-shells aspects are less intense, allowing the citrus to peek through a bit more. The palate remains similar. Excellent cut, but this wine is driven by the minerality and this tongue-tingling aspect. The fruit, acid, and apparent tannin all integrate well, but this intense dry chalkiness keeps me intrigued. The finish continues to be very long and another defining aspect of this wine. If I tasted blind, I would guess Chablis except for that I've never had a Chablis that made my Tongue tingle like, but the fruit and acid seem in line with an excellent Chablis. It's well-known to many Berserkers that I buy plenty of Oregon chardonnay from a handful of producers. This wine is unique amongst all of them in a perfect way. AFWE Oregon chardonnay lovers and Chablis lovers should consider checking this out if they are looking for something different. I know I will be buying some more. Excellent regardless of price but considering the tariff is a strong QPR.
5/12/2023 - bcsmit wrote: 97 Points
I GIVE THIS WINE NINETY-SEVEN POINTS:
***************************************************************************************************
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2022 - SH Wu wrote: 88 Points
The bottle I tried was open for a while before it got to me. The wine is very rounded and gentle, with soft citric minerality that runs like a cool stream you pass on a hike in autumn.
This was easy going to drink, and a great start to the night. Great wine for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2022 - Rywyine Likes this wine:
This is such a great Oregon Chardonnay. Nose is citrus fruited, lemon, stoney. Palate is reflective of nose, citrus, lemon and minerality. No sharp edges and it rides such a nice line of generosity and nuance. Love the acidity and if my memory serves correct the EtOH comes in around 12 ish. great wine and glad I have more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2022 - ledocq Likes this wine: 93 Points
DAMN! What a complex drink this is. Didn't get any sulphur/gunflint, but yes to the oystershell minerality, as well as an ever-changing palate that went so well with baked salmon I think i might need to stand on a streetcorner with a sandwich board and megaphone, telling citizens they need this pairing in their lives. We went back and forth between this and a very complicated Noguchi sake that also blew us away.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2021 - nrulis Likes this wine: 93 Points
This bottle was fantastic. It's young and electric. Bright and lively, full of citrus and seashell. Can't get enough of this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2021 - Seanwsmithm3 Likes this wine:
This wine was tasted in Grassl Liberté glass. The pale yellow-green hue in the glass is very inviting. I'm unsure if it's fined or filtered, but the racking is excellent and appears crystal clear to the eye. Tasted after pop-n-pour on day one and then allowed to sit open uncorked for 24 hours before the second-day tasting.
Day1: Upon pop-n-pour, there is a distinct note of flint, chalk, minerality, and seashells on the nose, with hints of lemon and citrus hiding behind the minerality. On the palate is this wonderful dry chalkiness blended with lemon and grapefruit. Excellent balancing acid without being overpowering. There is so much chalky dryness here that it almost seems like there is some dissolved co2 in the wine. I don't know if there is, but it reminds me of some other wines I like where the winemaker hits it with a bit of co2 during the bottling process to add this layer of complexity and freshness. Regardless, it's very intriguing, and it keeps me wanting more. It seems the wine has gone through malo as it shows some richness in the mouthfeel and is medium viscous on the tongue. I detect no new oak, and according to their website, it's aged in older oak barrels for 11 months and then spends six months in stainless before bottling. The lengthy finish on this wine is what really sets it apart—driven again by this intense minerality and seashells bouncing off the tannins, fruit, and acidity.
Day2: The nose is similar but may be slightly more subdued. The flint, chalk, and sea-shells aspects are less intense, allowing the citrus to peek through a bit more. The palate remains similar. Excellent cut, but this wine is driven by the minerality and this tongue-tingling aspect. The fruit, acid, and apparent tannin all integrate well, but this intense dry chalkiness keeps me intrigued. The finish continues to be very long and another defining aspect of this wine. If I tasted blind, I would guess Chablis except for that I've never had a Chablis that made my Tongue tingle like, but the fruit and acid seem in line with an excellent Chablis. It's well-known to many Berserkers that I buy plenty of Oregon chardonnay from a handful of producers. This wine is unique amongst all of them in a perfect way. AFWE Oregon chardonnay lovers and Chablis lovers should consider checking this out if they are looking for something different. I know I will be buying some more. Excellent regardless of price but considering the tariff is a strong QPR.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)