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Is Chardonnay Oregon’s Next Big Thing?

Oregon has earned a fine reputation for producing world-class pinot noir but the next big thing in this northern state just might be chardonnay. Chardonnay and pinot noir are rather like kissing cousins in the sense that they both show well in cooler milder climates that enjoy long, sunny days. In general, where pinot shows well, so does chardonnay. In many ways it’s no surprise that winemakers have been successful with chardonnay. Leveraging the climate, vintners are crafting these whites in a vivid style…and using everything from Dijon clones to stainless steel fermentation. Some are made with neutral or no oak, and no malolactic, while others get the full-on oak treatment.

But, before we go stereotyping Oregon chardonnay, it’s important to note that styles encompass a range of expression. Not everyone is shooting for a crisper style. In the adventurous spirit that is so Oregon, winemakers have been fiddling with the process, trying different clones and vineyard placements. Winemaker for Lange Vineyards, Jesse Lange, characterizes the Oregon chardonnay style as having, “clean flavors, bright acidity and complexity and length on the palate.”

I rounded up a group of women who are professed chardonnay lovers but had never tasted one from Oregon. There was unanimous surprise at the level of brightness and acidity in the wines—and the wines that were universal favorites won by wide margins. The overall consensus confirmed Lange’s observations: Oregon chardonnay possesses a clean style with Burgundian sensibilities, and is best when balanced between richness and vibrancy

In the Oregon wine region of Dundee AVA in the Willamette Valley (Photo credit: Wikipedia).

Several winemakers suggested drinking these wines with truffled popcorn and potato chips; my kind of food pairing because those things are in my pantry. They also noted that chardonnay is the more difficult child…harder to cultivate than pinot noir in Oregon’s climate. Cheers to difficult children, they often mature into amazing adults.

The Fan Favorites:
2011 Willamette Valley Vineyards Elton Chardonnay, $45—Best of the tasting. Tasters loved the rounded mouthfeel on this wine. It was rich with peach nectar, but balanced with a great finish. Winemaker Don Crank says this wine comes from a site unlike any other he has ever worked with. “The unique flavor profile to this site has something to do with the minerality and lemon/lime fruit.” For years the owners, Dick and Betty O’Brien, sold their fruit, now they are finally bottling it as their own. Crank likes to drink this with potato chips, potato leek soup and Dungeness crab.

2011 Stoller Family Estate Reserve Chardonnay, $35—-Best Value of the tasting, a fine balance of mouth-watering acidity and tropical fruits. Pineapple, lemon and cream in one sip. Winemaker Melissa Burr makes chardonnay “because we love it. And we think Oregon, and particularly the Dundee Hills, is one of the best spots to grow it.” She likes it with popcorn dusted with butter, parmesan and truffle oil.

2012 Anam Cara Cellars Reserve Chardonnay, Nicholas Estate, $32—-Rich with buttery edges, a very perfumy wine with floral notes, apricots and peaches. Winemaker Harry Peterson wanted to retain the “purity and clarity which are the vines signature.” Fermentation and aging in new French oak, some neutral oak and a small amount of stainless steel lends weight and texture. The winery suggests trying this wine with wild mushrooms, Dungeness crab or truffled popcorn.

2012 Lange Estate Winery Three Hills, $38—-Crisp and vivid with a nose of fresh cut apple– melon, with lemon cream on the palate. Winemaker Jesse Lange calls this his “Dijon Clone Lingerie Style” wine; a seamless blend of stainless steel and French oak fermentations. He suggests pairing this wine with sushi.

2011 Ponzi Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve, $30—Fuji apples and lemon cream on the nose and palate. The finish tingles with vibrant acidity. Winemaker Luisa Ponzi aims to “retain the beautiful fresh fruit and natural acidity” in the wine. She fell in love with chardonnay when she was living in Burgundy and hoped to reproduce something similar in Oregon. I’d say she’s done it. Ponzi recommends drinking this wine with any curry dish.

2011 Rex Hill Dijon Clone Chardonnay, $38—Prominent toasted nuts on the nose, citrus and vanilla on the palate. Rich and well-structured. Winemaker Michael Davies aims to “protect the wine’s minerality” and “assure it’s compatibility with food.” Davies also loves his wine with sushi.

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