Argyle Chardonnay

Tasting Notes

Our Argyle Willamette Valley Chardonnay combines the tension and purity of the Eola-Amity Hills with the graceful delicacy of the Dundee Hills.  Fermented and aged on the lees for 12 months in French oak barrels, and then an additional six months in stainless steel, the 2020 vintage bursts with lively layers of crisp green apple, lemon zest, and crushed stone minerality. The natural acidity is lively and fresh, finishing long and pure. 

Vintage Notes

The growing season began with a moderate winter followed by a wet spring, leading to a mid-to-late April budbreak. A cool, rainy middle of June lead to a challenging bloom, resulting in some of our lowest yields in a long time. The rest of the summer was quite beautiful—a classic no-AC-required Oregon summer. A late August/early September heat spike accelerated ripening, which sent us into harvest mode on September 1st with Chardonnay at Lone Star Vineyard. After a week of picking, easterly winds blew smoke from the Cascades into the Valley, causing us to stop and re-evaluate our harvest plans. We moved with Mother Nature and decided not to pick anymore red grapes after the fires in order to focus on sparkling wine, chardonnay, riesling and still wine rosé, keeping wine quality at the core and focusing on gentle, low-yield pressing. We finished picking on October 23rd, with a small parcel of late-ripening Lone Star riesling.

ABV 13.0%

WINE MAKER Nate Klostermann

HARVESTED  September 2nd - 22nd, 2020

COMPOSITION 100% Chardonnay

pH 3.15 TA 6.2 g/L BRIX AT HARVEST 20.6 BARREL AGING 12 months French oak, 15% new