Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Lean and taut when first poured, this chardonnay seems held in suspension by a gunflint, sulfite character. With air, the reduction recedes, revealing a tart, lemony white with savory flavors that are assertive but not weighty, mouthfilling but not heavy. Instead, the wine feels focused and kinetic, more about energy and movement than any particular flavor.
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James Suckling
A linear and dense wine with sliced-apple and honey character. Medium to full body, dense fruit and a flavorful, lively finish. Curious wine that shows some matchstick and earth at first on the nose that then blows off. Decant before serving. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Chardonnay Seven Springs Vineyard la Source, 20% matured in Stockinger 500-liter puncheons for 11 months, has a far superior bouquet compared to the Estate Chardonnay - much better delineation and mineralité, greater complexity and more Chablis-like. The palate is fresh and crisp with a keen line of acidity, a touch of lemongrass here with a vibrant finish that lingers in the mouth. This "wired" Chardonnay comes recommended.
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Wine Spectator
Bright, focused and laser-sharp, articulating the mineral-accented pear and citrus flavors. Lingers with presence. Drink now through 2024.
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.
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.