Wine Enthusiast: 91 points, June 2010
Wine Spectator: 91 points, Mar. 2010

Composition: 100% Chardonnay
Production: 304 cases (750 ml)
Alcohol: 13.8% by vol
pH: 3.18

“This bottling shows artful layers of figs,
Asian pears, apricots, apples, nutmeats and
minerals. Beautifully balanced by the acidity
found in our Northern wine region, it features
a long, polished finish. Pair it with poached
salmon, lobster, smoked meats and cheeses.”
Dave Paige, Winemaker

WINE BACKGROUND
Oregon’s pioneer winegrowers planted using selections of Chardonnay that had been chosen for California’s climate. They were very late ripening - in Oregon, two or three weeks after Pinot noir.
In 1974, David Adelsheim worked harvest in Burgundy and realized that the vines there produced fewer and smaller grape clusters and ripened in tandem with Pinot noir. He suspected that planting clones with these characteristics might be a boon for Oregon’s wine industry.
David followed through by helping create a system at Oregon State University that dealt with all the red tape and mandatory quarantines to allow both Chardonnay and Pinot noir clones to be imported. These so-called “Dijon” clones were eventually released for planting in 1989.
As the vines matured, we’ve found that the resulting wines are much different than what Oregon could formerly produce, much more in the direction of white Burgundy.

VINEYARDS
Grapes for this wine were predominately sourced from Stoller Vineyard (60%), which is located at the southern edge of the Dundee Hills AVA.
Two other sites in the Chehalem Mountains AVA also made substantial
contributions,Love Vineyard (33%) and Adelsheim’s Bryan Creek Vineyard
(7%).

WINEMAKING
The techniques used to produce this wine are, unsurprisingly, quite similar to those employed by the finest vintners in Burgundy.
The grapes were hand picked and pressed as whole clusters with a gentle bladder press. The wine was 100% barrel fermented in small French oak barrels (20% new).
For the next few months, lees stirring was performed on select barrels to add complexity and enhance textural richness. Sur lie aging for ten months allowed the Chardonnay and oak flavors to meld and the tannins to elongate, thereby softening and
rounding the wine.
The wine was bottled on August 14, 2009.

GROWING SEASON
The 2008 growing season began slowly with a cooler than normal spring for the months of March and April. Buds began to open around April 26th, giving the growing season a bit of a delayed start.
Temperatures picked up considerably in May and the vines accelerated shoot growth,but bloom was still slightly later than normal.
The favorable conditions surrounding bloom near the end of June continued well into August. Veraison became apparent in mid-August, followed by gorgeous ripening
conditions in September.
Grapes for this wine were harvested on October 12 and 14.

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