Yamhill Estate Chardonnay 2013
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Yamhill Valley Vineyards is dedicated to producing distinctive wines from estate grown grapes in the emerging Oregon style reminiscent of the finest Burgundian and Alsatian wines. The heart of our winemaking is dedicated to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines. With the planting of Pinot Blanc in the spring of 1994 we look forward to being a "three-Pinot family." We are a young vineyard (our first vintage was 1983) and winery in a new winegrowing region, dedicated to the production of cool-climate varieties. While keenly aware of traditional methods used in the production of our wines we are committed to exploring new technologies, innovative techniques and modern practices. We are dogged in our pursuit of a character that is distinctively Oregon and distinctively Yamhill Valley. We are one of the first wineries in America to use synthetic closures and the first to use plastic corks exclusively. We are experimenting with Oregon oak in the barrel aging of our wines. Our goal is to produce the very finest wines that our site and skills allow.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of Pinot Noir's most successful New World outposts, the Willamette Valley is the largest and most important AVA in Oregon. With a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, it is perfect for cool-climate viticulture and the production of elegant wines.
Mountain ranges bordering three sides of the valley, particularly the Chehalem Mountains, provide the option for higher-elevation vineyard sites.
The valley's three prominent soil types (volcanic, sedimentary and silty, loess) make it unique and create significant differences in wine styles among its vineyards and sub-AVAs. The iron-rich, basalt-based, Jory volcanic soils found commonly in the Dundee Hills are rich in clay and hold water well; the chalky, sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville encourage complex root systems as vines struggle to search for water and minerals. In the most southern stretch of the Willamette, the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA soils are mixed, shallow and well-drained. The Hills' close proximity to the Van Duzer Corridor (which became its own appellation as of 2019) also creates grapes with great concentration and firm acidity, leading to wines that perfectly express both power and grace.
Though Pinot noir enjoys the limelight here, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay also thrive in the Willamette. Increasing curiosity has risen recently in the potential of others like Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc and Gamay.