Eisold-Smith Chardonnay 2014
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Wine Spectator
Some wines fall outside the tasting box, and this is one of those. Intense, rich and distinctive—it's not your father's Chardonnay. Spontaneous fermentation (through native yeast) contributes to the texture and density. Concentrated fruit suggests nectarines, Meyer lemon and candied oranges just on the edge of being overripe. Drink now through 2018.
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Wine Enthusiast
Some wines fall outside the tasting box, and this is one of those. Intense, rich and distinctive—it's not your father's Chardonnay. Spontaneous fermentation (through native yeast) contributes to the texture and density. Concentrated fruit suggests nectarines, Meyer lemon and candied oranges just on the edge of being overripe. Drink now through 2018.
Today, Lauren is a leading viticulturist and spends her days farming and developing premium vineyards around the Willamette Valley. Adam focuses on Eisold-Smith Wines full time as winemaker, sales manager and cat-herder. They craft classic, sensual Pinot Noir & Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley, as well as vibrant, blissful red wines from the Gold Country soils Adam hails from. Eisold-Smith Wines are produced in a humble facility in the majestic coastal foothills of the McMinnville AVA.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
One of Pinot Noir's most successful New World outposts, the Willamette Valley is the largest and most important AVA in Oregon. With a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, it is perfect for cool-climate viticulture and the production of elegant wines.
Mountain ranges bordering three sides of the valley, particularly the Chehalem Mountains, provide the option for higher-elevation vineyard sites.
The valley's three prominent soil types (volcanic, sedimentary and silty, loess) make it unique and create significant differences in wine styles among its vineyards and sub-AVAs. The iron-rich, basalt-based, Jory volcanic soils found commonly in the Dundee Hills are rich in clay and hold water well; the chalky, sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville encourage complex root systems as vines struggle to search for water and minerals. In the most southern stretch of the Willamette, the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA soils are mixed, shallow and well-drained. The Hills' close proximity to the Van Duzer Corridor (which became its own appellation as of 2019) also creates grapes with great concentration and firm acidity, leading to wines that perfectly express both power and grace.
Though Pinot noir enjoys the limelight here, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay also thrive in the Willamette. Increasing curiosity has risen recently in the potential of others like Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc and Gamay.