CHARDONNAY
96 Adelsheim 2019 Ribbon Springs Vineyard Chardonnay (Ribbon Ridge). This is Adelsheim Vineyard’s only estate single vineyard Chardonnay in their 51-year history. That’s probably a good thing, as it would be difficult to top this fantastic wine. It is packed with aromas and flavors of cool cellar floor earth, lemon shortbread, ripe apricots, toasted filberts, coconut and the flinty-smoky note of a recently discharged firecracker. This is a fuller-bodied wine with a medium level of acidity and a whole lot of delicious character. Editors’ Choice. —M.A.
abv: 12.5% Price: $55
95 Audeant 2019 Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). For full reveiw see page 109. Cellar Selection.
abv: 13% Price: $75
95 Lange 2021 Three Hills Cuvée Chardonnay (Willamette Valley). For full review see page 110. Editors’ Choice.
abv: 13.4% Price: $40
94 Erath 2019 Willakia Vineyard Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills). This beautiful example of Willamette Valley Chardonnay features a complex aromatic set of lemon verbena, freshly baked sourdough bread, toasted filberts and a slightly savory quality that suggests seared scallops. The flavors of lemon sorbet, melon, chamomile, vanilla and clarified butter are equally compelling. The wine is medium-bodied, with more than enough acidity. It’s 100% whole cluster pressed, with 13 months in French oak, 25% of which was new. —M.A.
abv: 13% Price: $40
The aromatic set begins with bursts of earth and lemon verbena, followed by a wonderful combination of sliced warm sourdough bread topped with apple butter. The wine’s rich texture fills the mouth as flavors of chamomile tea with lemon and honey unite with roasted walnuts and donut peaches. The wine went through malolactic fermentation, after. —M.A.
