Winemaker Notes
The EGW is the yin and yang of Chardonnay - two different fruit sources with opposing characteristics from volcanic and sedimentary soils, high and low elevations, and Dijon and Wente clones in a 50/50 blend to create a seamless whole expression.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of flint and matchstick on the nose with sliced-lemon and apple aromas that follow through to a medium body with a tight, focused palate and a crisp, lively finish. The phenolics come out at the end with a lightly chewy texture. Some lemongrass undertones.
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Vinous
The 2023 Chardonnay EGW is a mineral beast. Its bouquet is distinctly savory, with a whiff of wet rocks, sea spray, crushed oyster shells and dried apples. The palate is texturally deep, showing a nearly oily feel up front that is perfectly complemented by vibrantly ripe orchard fruits, while a core of tantalizing acidity and a saline inflection add mind-bending contrasts. The 2023 lingers impossibly long as a hint of lemon zest and green melon fades over a salty resonance.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Chardonnay EGW has layered scents of matchstick, red apple, roasted hazelnuts and pie crust. The medium-bodied palate is understated and spicy with a silky texture, refreshing acidity and a long, dynamic finish.
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.