Winemaker Notes
2021 Sisters possesses a voluptuous range of aromas and flavors that balances citrus, pear and even mango, with floral and flinty sparks of brilliance. It has tension on the palate but a richness of texture as well. The flavors are vibrant and persist in a long mineral finish marked by a savory salinity. This is a monumental tribute to the sisters for whom the cuvée was named.
It’s a beautiful wine even on its own. However, to focus on the complexity and elegance of Sisters 2021, it should be best served with poached or sauteed fish dishes, such as poached salmon or halibut with a mild herbed butter or a light Beurre Blanc sauce.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Dynamic and handsomely built, with lilting flavors of pear and quince that take on lemon verbena and mineral hints as this glides toward the fresh, steely finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chardonnay Sisters is youthfully reticent, taking plenty of air to reveal Meyer lemon, salted almonds, cashew and acacia with nuances of flint. The light-bodied palate is bright and shimmery with mineral-driven fruit, tangy acidity and a long, ethereal 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.
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.