2020 Matteri Vineyard Chardonnay

90 POINTS - Wine Enthusiast Maganize

Tasting Note

A richly complex Chardonnay with ripe apricots, nectarines, and spiced pear mixed with layers of buttercream, warm spices, and hints of butterscotch on the finish. 129 cases produced

How we make our Chardonnay

Impressed with the Chardonnay fruit coming from the free-draining marine soils found in the hills of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, we decided to release a small-production vineyard-designate from Dr. Robert Matteri's - Matteri Vineyard. The fruit was hand-picked and gently whole-cluster pressed to avoid extracting bitterness from the skins. The juice then made its journey into 130-gallon Puncheon French oak barrels (25% new) to undergo primary and secondary fermentation, with lees stirring during the first six months. During its 10-month elevage in barrel, the wine was never racked.

The 2020 Vintage

The 2020 growing season started with a small fruit set and mild summer weather. Soon we faced the challenges of farming during a pandemic and wildfires, but we, along with our growing partners managed to adapt to the difficulties of the vintage. We ran more laboratory tests than ever before, with dozens of samples sent to multiple laboratories, and are committed to releasing only wines free of smoke-affect that passed our rigorous tests. In 2020 you can expect wines with great concentration and freshness of the fruit.