current release
2021 Yamhill-carlton INCLINE chardonnay
winemaker notes
A stunning Chardonnay from our Yamhill-Carlton estate, the Quartz Acorn Vineyard. Aromatically off the bat this wine is honey brioche, coconut husk, and sappy lime. Gardenia and a strong mineral backbone carry center stage as the wine opens. The palate has massive, round concentration with a mouth-watering salinity. This wine is precise and elegant now in its youth, and shows incredible potential for aging.
winemaking details
Fruit was sourced from the southern slope of our Yamhill-Carlton Estate, featuring the 76 and 95 clonal selection. Sorted slowly by hand and pressed whole cluster, with no settling time before barreling down. 100% barrel fermented in neutral vessels with native yeasts. This wine went through full malolactic fermentation and aged on lees for 11 months in 100% neutral French oak. Alcohol of 12.5%.
vintage notes
We kicked off harvest on August 30th and wrapped up Chardonnay the first week of September. By mid-September, we were well into picking out our Iron Filbert Vineyard. We started with the bottom section of the vineyard and made our way up the hill steadily. The last pick for our Dundee Hills estate was on September 29th. This year, we incorporated a small percentage of whole cluster into the ferments. In hot, riper vintages like we are working with now, the stems are lignified enough to benefit and add beautiful complexity to the ferments. We brought in our first fruit from the Quartz Acorn Vineyard on Friday, October 1st.
wine information
Fruit for this label is sourced from our organically farmed Quartz Acorn Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton. Only 150 cases were produced in 2021.
reviews
2021 | 95 points James Suckling
Some pretty grape skin and caramel notes with matchstick on the nose. Medium to full body with plenty of skin character and phenolics. Really serious and structured. Flavorful finish but always tight and focused.
2021 | 93 points Wine Spectator
Rich yet graceful, with multilayered pear and lime flavors that draw in steely mineral accents as this glides on the long finish. Drink now through 2025. —TF