Electric Elegance in the Willamette Valley

After tasting about 200 chardonnays and chardonnay-based sparkling wines during recent visits to the Willamette Valley's diverse AVAs, the message is clear: Oregon chardonnay has arrived with a level of site-specific transparency that rivals the best in the world. The quality is remarkably consistent, with more than half of the wines scoring 93 points or higher in our latest tastings.

Among our top-scoring still chardonnays are the Antica Terra Chardonnay Willamette Valley Aurata 2023 and 00 Wines Chardonnay Willamette Valley Eola-Amity Hills Richard Hermann Cuvée 2023. Chardonnay-based sparkling wines also continue to impress. The classic producer Argyle remains a benchmark under new winemaker Kate Payne Brown, and among newer names, Lytle-Barnett – dedicated exclusively to sparkling wine – performed strongly.

“Oregon has yet to define its style of chardonnay, and I really hope that it doesn't, because we have so much variety in these AVAs,” said Max Bruening, the winemaker at Ponzi Vineyards.

While the wines we tasted share common threads – minerality, laser-like acidity, a pleasing citrus-peel bitterness and aromas of orchard blossom and forest botanicals – clear regional distinctions are emerging. In the relatively warmer northern reaches of the valley, producers such as Ponzi are crafting plush, aromatic and approachable chardonnays. In contrast, the Eola-Amity Hills is delivering focused, intense wines shaped by volcanic soils and the region’s signature cold Pacific winds.

Here, producers including 00 Wines, Walter Scott and X Novo are producing ageworthy chardonnays marked by tension, reduction and depth. The Eola-Amity Hills is also becoming a hotspot for a new generation of acid-driven, méthode champenoise sparkling wines from producers like Lytle-Barnett and Corollary.

Ponzi is nestled in the northern Chehalem Mountains, within the Laurelwood District sub-AVA, which is defined by winds funneled from the Cascade Range through the Columbia Gorge. These winds deposited the area’s hallmark loess soils – which locals call “wind-blown loess” – layering freshwater silt over basalt bedrock. Ponzi’s chardonnays reflect this setting, offering soft yet structured textures, saline lift and a quenching medium body, with aromas that evoke sea breezes and exotic spice.

A 30-minute drive southwest brings you to the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. When the Willamette Valley was first established, Eola-Amity Hills was considered too cold for viticulture. Today, rising temperatures and growing interest in chardonnay have transformed it into one of the most sought-after planting areas in Oregon, aided by the availability of suitable land.

Chris Hermann, the co-founder and winemaker for 00 Wines, whose first vintage was 2015, describes chardonnay from Eola-Amity as “having their own power” and being very linear and striking, combining liveliness with finesse.

“What you see across the elevage is an extraordinary fine texture,” he said. “It’s sort of like an energy drink – a zap that is exciting.”

James Suckling described their 00 Wines Chardonnay Willamette Valley Eola-Amity Hills Richard Hermann Cuvée 2023 as "subtle and transparent … full-bodied yet tight and intense with phenolics that flow through the wine. A fantastic chardonnay with lots of flavor and texture."

If 00 is among the newest generation of vintners to discover the Eola-Amity Hills, Bethel Heights was the first. We visited Bethel Heights co-owner Ben Casteel, whose family planted chardonnay in 1976 in a pocket surrounded by conifer trees, which protect the vineyard from the onslaught of the Pacific. He described how the arrival of the renowned winemaker Dominique Lafon from Burgundy in 2007 started a new phase for chardonnay in the Willamette Valley – and has continued to propel it forward.

“Dominique introduced these tall skinny tanks from burgundy,” Casteel said, gesturing to the winery behind us. “I had never seen those before.”

Today, Casteel, along with nearly all the top winemakers we talked to, use these or similar tanks to keep the lees in suspension after barrel fermenting – a technique introduced by Lafon. “The theory being that we need something for all of that acidity to push against,” Casteel said. “Acidity used to be a problem,” he added. “Now it is a unique feature.”

The Bethel Heights Chardonnay Willamette Valley Eola-Amity Hills High Wire 2023, from old vine plantings, is a powerful and full-bodied wine with a wonderful balance of citrus, nuttiness, savory pine, white flowers and rich, plush acidity.

At the nearby Aubain winery, we met with Isabelle Meunier, who was originally recruited by Lafon from Burgundy to work as a winemaker at Evening Land Vineyards in Eola-Amity Hills in 2007 and whose 2008 Evening Land Chardonnay has been described by a few winemakers we spoke to as “setting the standard” for Oregon chardonnay today. She now makes the wine for Aubain, in addition to consulting for several other brands.

“When I moved to Oregon in 2007,  I inherited the care of the 65-acre Seven Springs Vineyards [now Evening Land winery],” she said. “I was the only one who was excited that there were four acres of chardonnay planted.” Today, more than half of the estate is planted to the variety.

With Aubaine, as with Evening Land, Meunier seeks to temper the power of Eola-Amity’s windy, volcanic slopes through gentle winemaking. Whole-cluster, direct-to-press processing and a Champagne-style press cycle help preserve balance while allowing site expression. “It is very transparent,” she said. “There is no forgiveness.” Her two single-block chardonnays are nuanced and layered, with orchard fruit flavors supporting vibrant, textural acidity.

Meunier’s husband, Andrew Davis, has played a pivotal role in the rise of sparkling wine in the Willamette Valley. After leaving Argyle in 2013, he founded Radiant, a mobile tirage bottling and disgorging service that made méthode champenoise production accessible to smaller producers. The timing aligned perfectly with the expansion of cool-climate chardonnay plantings.

Among the top sparkling wines Davis produces are those from Lytle-Barnett. The Lytle Barnett Willamette Valley Blanc de Blancs 2019, aged three years on lees, is refined and expressive, with aromas of white flowers and chalk, dense, fine bubbles, savory autolytic depth and a clean, mouthwatering finish.

Other new sparkling wines that impressed include releases from Arabalis and Corollary. Argyle, under Kate Payne Brown, also delivered standout blanc de blancs.

All of this diversity makes Willamette Valley chardonnay one of Oregon’s most exciting categories – but it is not without challenges. Reduction is increasingly a signature of Oregon chardonnay, yet when pushed too far it can obscure terroir and render wines harsh in their youth. At Lingua Franca, reduction is managed through meticulous lees selection.

“It all goes back to how diligent we are going to barrel. We want the wine and the lees to live their entire life together,” said Joe Ferris, the winemaker at Lingua Franca. “When we rack, we are tasting all the lees. We are looking for a textural thing – smooth creaminess, light brown-taupe color and aromatics that lean toward a complex flintiness.

Similarly, many producers are embracing skin phenolics by crushing, rolling or foot-treading grapes before pressing. When handled well – as with wines from 00 Wines, Antica Terra and X Novo – this technique lends a citrus-oil richness to the finish. Poorly executed, however, it can result in excessive bitterness or coarse phenolics.

For sparkling wine, the Eola-Amity Hills is clearly the next frontier. The naturally high acidity makes intuitive sense, though some wines showed imbalance, with searing acidity unsupported by sufficient fruit or texture.

To achieve balance in wines from Argyle’s Spirit Hill vineyard, Brown uses press fractions as blending tools, incorporates malolactic fermentation and extends time on lees in barrel to soften the acidity.

Davis, of Radiant, said he has “recommended to some of my clients that they chaptalize, which is a sign that they probably picked too early.”

He added: “Because the sparkling wine industry here is so young, we have to remember that many of the wines we are tasting now are the first or second experiments for a lot of people.”

But this is still a young region, and its diversity is precisely what makes it compelling.

“If all wines taste the same, that is not what generates interest in a fine wine region, and we are pleased that people are allowing a variety of styles,” said Hermann of 00 Wines.

That openness – combined with vibrant site expression and deeply committed winemakers –confirms that Willamette Valley chardonnay is firmly established as one of Oregon’s most dynamic categories to watch.

– Courtney Humiston, Staff Writer & Taster

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. They include many latest releases not yet available on the market, but which will be available soon. 

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