“Oregon has finally begun to assert itself in the wine world with one of the most temperamental, heart breaking, alluring and sensuous varietals, Pinot Noir.  The cages have begun rattling in the white wine world with Oregon Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Riesling. Yet no one has even given an acknowledging nod of the head to Chardonnay from Oregon. Perhaps, it may be that the first clonal selections of this mass marketed varietal to be planted in Oregon produced under ripe, astringent and acidic wines, much to the chagrin of California wine revelers. These wines are racy with balanced acidity, bright apple and pear notes abound and a gorgeous minerality glints and flickers as it leapfrogs from taste bud to taste bud.  They are built for food, yet great on their own; Forget what your parents said about Oregon Chardonnay, quaff some immediately!” - Chris Coker, Sommelier, Corks Restaurant, Baltimore, MD

“Chardonnay's newfound success in Oregon is all thanks to a new selection of clones known as Dijon . Recently a group of Chardonnay producers formed the Oregon Chardonnay Alliance to champion the new breed. Seven wineries - Adelsheim, Argyle, Chehalem, Domaine Drouhin Oregon , Domaine Serene, Hamacher and Ponzi - have banded together to get the word out on these new clones and to announce an end to Chardonnay mediocrity from Oregon .” - Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles Times

“The [ORCA] Chardonnays, representing a new generation of winemaking in Oregon, were overall elegant yet complex, often with graceful aromas of melon and white peach, plus a distinctive note of minerality on the finish … By adapting classic models of Burgundian viticulture to fit the specific parameters of Oregon soils and climate, they’ve created wines that are not only an improvement over the early uninspiring and unpredictable Oregon Chardonnays, but also wines that can hold their own with the world’s best.” - Marguerite Thomas, Los Angeles Times/Tribune International News Syndicate

Adelsheim – 2002 Caitlin’s Reserve Chardonnay

  • W ine Spectator , June 30, 2005 . 90 points. “Has reserve and elegance, with nicely formed pear, pepper and cream flavors that dance gracefully through the long, polished finish.” Harvey Steiman.    
  • The Wine Advocate , October 25, 2004 . 88  points. “Spicy mineral-scented and medium-bodied, the 2002 Chardonnay Caitlin's Reserve is a satin-textured wine with pear and white pepper flavors. Expressive, loaded with fruit, and well-balanced, it is a candidate for drinking over the next 4-5 years.” Pierre Rovani
  • Gourmet , April 2005, "For this month's menus and beyond" by Gerald Asher
    Recommended Wines: Adelsheim, Yamhill County , Caitlin's Reserve '02
  • Wine Review Online “ Showing admirable balance between primary fruit notes and accents from oak, this complex wine features ripe apple fruit and nice complexities of smoke and spices.  91 points.” Michael Franz
  • Annapolis Capital-Gazette , July 22, 2005 . “Floral nose with good spice, subtle French oak, and minerally backbone.” Tom Marquardt
  • Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005 . “ The '03 Caitlin's is rich and broad, with flavors of ripe peach overlaid with a clean vanilla scent. It has brisk acids and a clean finish.” Patrick Comiskey
  • Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  • Winecountry.com, October 2005 “Tropical and banana notes play into varietally accurate apple and honey aromas and flavors; there’s barrel-fermented richness, and the finish has a distinct and intriguing nuttiness. Fun in a glass.” Thom Elkjer

Argyle -- 2001 Nuthouse Chardonnay

  • Gourmet , April 2005, “ For this month's menus and beyond” by Gerald Asher. Recommended Wines: Argyle 2001 Nuthouse Chardonnay
  •  Wine Spectator, May 31, 2005 . 90 points. “Rich in texture, with spicy, dusky pear, honey
    and lime flavors, finishing dray and round, with a nappy edge. Feels like it has much to
    develop. Drink now through 2008.” Harvey Steiman
  • Minneapolis Tribune, July 7. “This top-of-the-line Oregon chardonnay has seen tremendous refinement over the past decade. The current release has a remarkably Burgundian range of hazelnut, lemon, mineral, gardenia, pear and toast aromas and flavors that are simultaneously bright and taut, luscious and deep. It may need a couple of years in the cellar to fully open up.”
  • * * Excellent. Tim Teichgraeber
  • Annapolis Capital-Gazette, July 22, 2005 . “The Nuthouse has an elegant feel with a fresh citrus and spice character. Light vanilla oak and a touch of pear. Made entirely from Dijon clone grapes.” Tom Marquardt
  • Nation’s Restaurant News, Wine of the Week September 2005. “Argyle’s excellent Nuthouse Chardonnay shows the full body and flavor development of fully ripe grapes, with fine balancing acidity; its aromas and flavors suggest citrus, apple and butterscotch. This wine is fresh now an has the potential to improve over the course of a year or two.” Mary Ewing Mulligan
  • Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005 “This older vintage serves as a fine indicator of how the Dijon clones age. It has a densely earthy, almost feral soil scent that serves to remind that this wine is fermented using indigenous yeasts. Clean, fresh pear flavors and a pleasing hint of bottle age inform the palate. It's ripe but not overblown, with enough bright acid to rein in the finish.” Patrick Comiskey
  • Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  • Winecountry.com October 2005 “Hard to believe a wine this fresh and sweet – redolent of spring greens, crisp apples and buttered beans – was fermented in oak barrels; the absorbing complexity is fully integrated, not sprinkled or painted on.” Thom Elkjer

Chehalem -- 2002 Ian’s Reserve

  • Northwest Palate , January/February 2005: Recommended. Aromas of toast, apple, citrus, and mineral. On the palate, light toast balances creamy ripe apple fruit with faint butterscotch notes in the bright-acid finish. Pair with pan-fried razor clams.
  • The Wine Advocate , October 2004, 90 points. “Typically one of Oregon 's finest whites. Vanilla bean, toast and spicy minerals can be found in its complex aromatics. Medium bodied, suave, and silky textured, it is a supple, sensual wine filled with buttery white fruits.” Pierre Rovani
  • Gourmet , April 2005, “ For this month's menus and beyond” by Gerald Asher. Recommended Wines: 2002 Ian’s Reserve Chardonnay
  • Wine Review Online “ With low oak by world standards (much less American ones), this is on the fresh, primary fruit side of the Chardonnay spectrum, and very successfully so, as the notes here are impeccably pure and impressively persistent.  A core of ripe pear fruit is the lead attraction, with nuances and layers of flavor that seem to stem more from the multiple dimensions of the fruit than from oak trickery.  93 points.” Michael Franz
  • Annapolis Capital-Gazette July 22, 2005 . “An excellent, silky chardonnay with well-balanced acidity, spice, toasty oak and pear notes.” Tom Marquardt
  • Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005 “ Probably the ripest of the wines in this grouping, Harry Peterson-Nedry's Ian's offers scents of corn-silk and melon, with a top note of sweet oak aromas. The palate offers ripe golden apple flavors; the wine has a surprising bolt of acidity that gives the finish a nice contour.” Patrick Comiskey
  • Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  •  Winecountry.com October 2005 “Reminded me of Napa Chard (that’s a compliment), with outgoing buttery aromas and clover honey flavors, a plush mouthfeel, and an unctuous finish that rolls on like a broad river in high summer.” Thom Elkjer
  • Washingtonian , October 2005 “ …displays a whiff of slate or stone akin to the minerality characteristic of fine white Burgundy .” Paul Lukacs

Domaine Drouhin -- 2003 Chardonnay Arthur

  • Gourmet , April 2005, “ For this month's menus and beyond” by Gerald Asher. Recommended Wines: Domaine Drouhin 2003 Chardonnay
  • Wine Review Online “ Remarkably delicate and refined, this shows beautiful pear and apple fruit with exceedingly subtle, well-integrated oak that lends just the right accents without any drying or distraction.  Really medium-bodied, with fresh acidity that is very well integrated, this is a complete and thoroughly convincing wine.  94 points, Michael Franz
  • Annapolis Capital-Gazette, July 22, 2005 “Hazelnut aromas give way to mineral, ripe pear and silky finish.” Tom Marquardt
  • Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005 “This is an impressively restrained Chardonnay despite an extremely warm vintage. The aromas are broad and fresh, with hints of minerality. The flavors are of ripe butter pear and golden apple, lifted by good acidity and that earthy minerality that gives the wine length.” Patrick Comiskey
  • Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  • Winecountry. com October 2005 “Aromas of peaches and cereal grains, flavors of applesauce and fresh cream, and a rich texture shot through with bright citrus and bracing minerality. Unusual chard, and a good value.” Thom Elkjer

Domaine Serene – 2002 Clos du Soleil

  • Gourmet , April 2005, “ For this month's menus and beyond” by Gerald Asher. Recommended Wines: Domaine Serene Clos du Soleil Vineyard 2002 Chardonnay
  •  Wine Review Online “ Most Chardonnays from Oregon used to taste tart and unappetizing. Today’s best examples (virtually all made from French, Dijon clones), however, are downright riveting. They have ripe, rich autumn fruit flavor, with plenty of acidity and structure. This one is a great example. It tastes of apples and pears; the oak is integrated seamlessly; and there is excellent depth. It’s very much a special occasion wine. 92 points,” Paul Lukacs
  •  “ Ripe and rounded in flavor and feel, this generously endowed wine features lush fruit that is certainly up to the challenge of abundant oak.  Powerful but not pushy or obvious, this is showy but stylish as well.  91 points.” Michael Franz
  •  Annapolis Capital-Gazette, July 22, 2005 . “The aromas jump out of the glass in this complex Chardonnay with pear and lime flavors, a rich and soft texture and long finish.” Tom Marquardt
  •  Los Angeles Times , August 15, 2005 . “Not a shy wine - it has bright pear scents and expressive pear flavors. Its exuberance is reined in by firm acids and, like most of the others here, an earthy high tone of minerality.” Patrick Comiskey
  •  Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  • Winecountry.com October 2005 “A suave, incisive, masculine take on a grape that’s often feminized to the point of perfume. Appley and crisp, with super texture and a flavor-filled finish that stays endlessly aloft.” Thom Elkjer
  • Washingtoniain October 2005 “…seamless yet multilayered and intricate … it suggests that Oregon is indeed the right place for Chardonnay after all.” Paul Lukacs (for 2002 Côte Sud Chardonnay)

Hamacher -- 2001 Cuvée Forêts Diverses

  • Wine Review Online. “A European-styled Chardonnay with understated flavors, creamy texture and impressive structure; full-bodied and ripe, with aromas and flavors of apple, some floral notes, and clean, toasty oak; great length. 92 points. Mary Ewing Mulligan
  •  “Now near the peak of its powers, this is rich and deeply flavored, but nevertheless quite pure.  Notes of smoke and toast work beautifully with a fruit core of ripe pears and baked apples.  Well made from superb material, this is impressive stuff.  91 points Michael Franz
  • Annapolis Capital-Gazette, July 22, 2005 . “Bright pear and lemon notes with long finish and silky mouthfeel. A wine that offers even more with cellaring.” – Tom Marquardt
  •  Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005 . “ Eric Hamacher's wines are typically among the most age-worthy of all Oregon Chardonnays. With aromas of dried pear and toasty oak, this one's dry on the palate, marked with a long, firm finish.” Patrick Comiskey
  • Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  •  Winecountry.com October, 2005 “Minty oak still dominates this four-year-old Chard, suggesting it will be best with rich food or in a few years when the wood melds further into the baked apple flavors.” Thom Elkjer
  • Washingtonian October 2005 “Exemplifies a more full-bodied style of Chardonnay. Marked by pear and apple flavors, it has depth and length.” Paul Lukacs

 Ponzi – 2002 Reserve

  • Wine Review Online Although this wine is on the oaky side of the Oregon norm, it is nevertheless nicely balanced, with ample fruit and fresh acidity working nicely with the smoky accents from oak.  91 points. Michael Franz
  •  Annapolis Capital-Gazette , July 22, 2005 “Citrus notes abound in this firm wine with fresh fruit and nutty characteristics.” – Tom Marquardt
  • Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2005 “A wine that leads with spices, almost like chai with nutmeg and cinnamon in the mix, overlaid on fresh apple aromas. Its flavors walk the line between ripe apple and pear, with a beautiful flinty mineral texture for all that ripeness, giving the wine an agreeable tension and length.” Patrick Comiskey
  •  Decanter, September 2005. Selected as one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays in “New Clones Give Terroir a Chance” feature by Norm Roby.
  • Winecountry.com October 2005 “Quite a ride, from the aromas of fresh sweet peas in butter to the hint of anchovy-like umami in the finish. In between, perfect balance and tongue-pleasing texture. Delicious match with broiled King salmon.” – Thom Elkjer
  • Washingtonian October 2005 “… a citrus character with a spicy, nutty undertone.” Paul Lukacs
 
For more information please e-mail: info@oregonchardonnay.org