Borne of Fire Chardonnay 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb Dunnuck
A great little Chardonnay brought up in 10% new French oak, with the balance in a mix of vessels, the 2018 Chardonnay offers clean, crisp notes of white flowers, apple blossom, a touch of minerality, medium body, and a clean finish. Drink it over the coming year or three.
Other Vintages
2019-
Jeb
Dunnuck
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we have laid claim to a land that has been torn from within and smothered in flames. Where Earth’s torrid past has new meaning. And our true awakening has been reborn.
From a rugged terrain once etched with fiery sparks, to the Columbia River rushing by our side. We have charged past the blaze and now we look ahead. Where the grapes grow mighty. The sun-scorched grounds guide us. And the barrels will be charred to perfection. And so, we rise because we are Borne of Fire.
Juan Munoz-Oca acts as a pioneer in uncharted territory, while also leaning on his Cabernet Sauvignon expertise from his time creating Washington's only No. 1 Wine in the World from Wine Spectator at Columbia Crest, and producing Intrinsic which made #32 in the Wine Spectator's "Top 100 Wines" in the world list for 2016.
His mission with Borne of Fire is to maintain the natural flavors of the region with minimalistic techniques, thus bringing forth ripeness wtih opulent flavors.
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.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.