Oregon Chardonnay is Evolving: 10 Bottles to Try | Wine Enthusiast
Wine bottle illustration Displaying 0 results for
Suggested Searches
Shop
Articles & Content
Ratings

Oregon Chardonnay is Evolving: 10 Bottles to Try

When you buy something through our link, we may earn a small commission. Wine Enthusiast does not accept money for editorial wine reviews. Read more about our policy.

When you buy something using retail links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Wine Enthusiast does not accept payment for reviews of wines, beers, spirits or other products. Read about our blind tasting and review process here.

The renaissance of Oregon Chardonnay—and it is surely a renaissance—can be attributed to the convergence of several factors.

The first is time itself. It takes time to experiment with new clones, to plant in new vineyards and watch them mature. It also takes time to investigate new fermentation techniques, such as intentionally allowing the juice to oxidize (so-called black Chardonnay).

It’s important to factor in changing tastes as well. There will always be a place for ultra-ripe wines aged in heavily toasted new oak barrels, but few would contend that such wines are still mainstream. The current wave of wine influencers, such as sommeliers and critics, generally favor lower-alcohol, high-acid styles that pair well with food. Consumers are finding that these elegant Chardonnays offer more aromatic and textural pleasure than the old “clobber ’em with butter and oak” wines.

The spread of biodynamic and regenerative farming also contributes to the overall complexity and quality now found in the state. The use of native yeasts, though still a bit controversial, has been widely adopted and brings more unique accents to the wines, adding further flavor interest. Fermentation vessels such as clay and concrete have joined stainless tanks and oak barrels in the winemaker’s toolkit, which together yield an array of flavors and textures within the Chardonnay spectrum.

All these evolutionary changes have resulted in a growing number of world class Oregon Chardonnays. Producers such as Archery Summit, Bergström, Day, Domaine Divio, Domaine Drouhin Oregon/Drouhin Oregon Roserock, Domaine Serene, Lange, Lingua Franca, Walter Scott, White Walnut and 00 offer multiple Chardonnays in any given vintage well differentiated by clone or vineyard.

Most current and upcoming releases will be from the 2019 and 2020 vintages. Though smoke from wildfires impacted many red wines in 2020, the white wines are so far looking really good and should not be missed.

00 Wines 2019 Kathryn Hermann Cuvée Chardonnay (Chehalem Mountains); $175, Wine-searcher. The grapes are from the Chehalem Mountain Vineyard and were aged 23 months in a new French oak barrel… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Acrobat 2020 Chardonnay (Oregon); $14, Vivino. This is an exciting new release from a challenging vintage… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Bergström 2019 Old Stones Chardonnay (Willamette Valley); $40, Vivino. Though billed as the “baby sister” to the winery’s top-of-the-line Sigrid Chardonnay, this really need not take a back seat to any wine… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Cristom 2019 Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills); $40, Wine.com or Vivino. Wonderfully floral on the nose, sappy and rich on the palate, this expressive wine is packed with flavorful fruits perfectly set against tangy acidity…. SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Domaine Serene 2019 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay (Willamette Valley); $65, Wine-searcher. You wouldn’t call this wine shy or spare, and yet it’s restrained and less plush than past versions. Showing a delicious mix of pear, melon and citrus fruits… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Drouhin Oregon Roserock 2019 Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills); $35, Wine-searcher. The 2019 is a stellar vintage with tremendous vitality and precision. The crisp apple fruit is underscored with refreshing minerality… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Lange 2020 Three Hills Cuvée Chardonnay (Willamette Valley); $40, Wine-searcher. Tart and zesty, this refreshing wine incorporates grapes from the Lange Estate, Freedom Hill and Durant Vineyards… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Shea 2018 Chardonnay (Willamette Valley); $40, Wine-searcher. Shea scores again with a luscious, toasty, palate-coating wine that way overdelivers for the price. Estate grown at one of the top vineyards in Oregon… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Tumwater 2019 Black Label Reserve Estate Chardonnay (Willamette Valley); $65, Vivino. Tumwater’s estate is on Pete’s Mountain, an off-the-radar site just south of Portland in the eastern foothills of the Cascades… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW

Walter Scott 2019 X-Novo Vineyard Chardonnay (Eola-Amity Hills); $85, Vivino. This offers palate-piercing flavors of bitter herb, lemon zest, grapefruit, apple and green melon. It’s compact and extremely youthful… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW