Winemaker Notes
Summum continues to be a high-wire act: tense yet lissome, refined yet seemingly effortless, and ultimately, nothing short of thrilling. Crunchy tree fruits, tuberose and fresh buttermilk are only the entrance to a mouthwatering, complex wine of length—one that illustrates why Dominique Lafon, a true master of Meursault and White Burgundy at large, fought to keep this special stripe of Chardonnay at Seven Springs nearly two decades ago. For that we thank him.
While Summum is more than enjoyable on its own, the wine will stun all the more with scallops or roast chicken.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The Summum Chardonnay from the Seven Springs Vineyard is one of Eola-Amity’s renowned bottlings of the variety. These vines are nearly 30 years old, esconced in the rocky soils of the east-facing slope. A masterclass in Eola Amity Chardonnay with unfolding aromatic complexity of toasted hazelnuts, preserved lemons and savoury edges of verbena and sea salt. The palate is uncanny in its depths. Rich notes of lemon oil, fleshy elements of sliced pear and lemon curd, there’s a lingering note of savoury umami that shows the wine's brilliance.
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James Suckling
Lush yet taut, this is a concentrated, medium-bodied wine with refreshing acidity. Aromas of grapefruit, rosewater and pear blossoms are intriguing and lead to flavors of just-ripe stone fruit. The clean and mouthwatering finish invites another sip. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Have you ever smelled a batch of fresh-picked elderflowers? It's like honey, lemon and pears were all rolled up into one aroma. This year's Summum is packed with elderflower action, along with aromas of butter and apple cider. The Chardonnay's brisk acidity and crisp texture help to frame its lemon sorbet, lime and Golden Delicious apple flavors. There's a long, savory finish to enjoy here, so try not gulp it down as quickly as you'd like. If you have sea scallops handy, prepare to sear.
Editors' Choice -
Wine Spectator
A compelling white, with a supple texture and a crisp backbone that offers multilayered accents of pear, orange zest, apricot and crushed stone.
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.