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Adelsheim Oregon Chardonnay 2001
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BN#132358 |
$16.99/bottle
$15.29/bottle mixed case
SKU7031248 |
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Adelsheim
Oregon Chardonnay
2001
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In the north Willamette Valley during the 1970s and 1980s, when the only plants available to Oregon growers were three late-ripening Chardonnay selections from California, full ripeness was achieved (if at all) by waiting until early November to pick our grapes. In response to this problem, Oregon took the lead in importing and planting earlier-ripening Chardonnay clones from Burgundy. As these vines have matured, their wines are showing flavors wholly different from the old California selections, and considerably more like those found in Burgundy. The addition of these Burgundian clones to our Oregon Series Chardonnay has given much racier flavors to this traditionally produced wine. The 2001 blend consists of 66% early-ripening Burgundian clones and 34% Selection 108 from California.
Growing Season ”" The 2001 vintage will be remembered for its soft, forward wines. The growing season started off in typical Oregon fashion, with a mix of sun and rain in the Spring. Exceptionally dry weather during bloom in late June resulted in the largest crop levels seen since 1997, necessitating as many as four passes through the vineyards to thin the crop down to where the vines could ripen their loads. Two very unusual periods of rain”"the first in mid-August, the second in mid-September”"then interrupted our normal summer drought. These rains prevented dehydration during the final month of ripening, giving us larger clusters and berries than normal. The lack of rain during harvest led growers to believe that the vintage would be as concentrated as the previous three, but as 2001's wines have been bottled, we're thinking of them as round, with lots of flavor, but not huge.
Vineyards ”" The five vineyards contributing to this Oregon Chardonnay are all on basaltic origin, clay-loam soils; this is significant because these soils are capable of holding enough water to support grapevines through our summer drought, insuring the development of intense fruit flavors. The vineyards are planted on the three most important hill systems in the north Willamette Valley: Quarter Mile Lane Vineyard (19% of the final blend) and Bryan Creek Vineyard (21%) are on the Chehalem Mountains. Stoller Vineyard (21%) and Niederberger Vineyard (9%) are both in the Red Hills of Dundee and Temperance Hill Vineyard (30%) is in the Eola Hills.
Winemaking ”" Our 2001 Oregon Chardonnay was produced with the same "hands-off" winemaking that has always been employed by the top Burgundy producers (and us). Following a gentle, whole-cluster pressing to separate the juice from the skins as quickly as possible, each lot was transferred into small French oak barrels, of which 25% were new, medium-toast, Allier and Vosges barrels. After undergoing primary and malolactic fermentations, the lees of the wines were stirred every two weeks to add complexity. "Sur lie" aging for 11 months allowed the Chardonnay and oak flavors to merge together, and for the oak tannins to soften and gain sweetness. Following a light fining and filtration, the wine was bottled in September 2001.
The Wine ”" This 2001 is the first Chardonnay produced by our new winemaker Dave Paige, yet it shows the elegant balance of bright fruit intensity, alcohol, acidity, and oak that has been the hallmark of our Chardonnay wines. We are particularly focused on the finish of our Chardonnays, hoping to emphasize length, richness and smoothness while avoiding bitterness. Our 2001 offers a complex nose of lemons, pears, and a hint of minerality. The rich mouthfeel adds layers of spicy fig, pear and lemon fruit, and is complemented by balanced oak. This wine pairs beautifully with lobster, bisques, quiches and spicy dishes.
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