Oregon
wine country, part 12
ORCA: focusing
on Chardonnay in Oregon
After
a busy day’s vineyard visiting, I headed back to McMinnville for a
dinner with David Adelsheim (Adelsheim Vineyard) and David Millman
(Domaine Drouhin Oregon), looking specifically at Chardonnay. They
both belong to an organization called ORCA (Oregon Chardonnay
Alliance), which has seven members in all, with the other five being
Hamacher, Ponzi, Chehalem, Argyle and Domaine Serene.
The
focus in Oregon has drifted away from Chardonnay, perhaps because
many of the early efforts with this grape were a little forgettable.
But this alliance aims to bring some of the focus back to the many
excellent examples of this variety that are now being made.
As
Oregon began to be developed as a wine region in the late 1960s and
early 1970s, the pioneering winegrowers brought in Chardonnay from
California, and planted it on its own roots. This turned out to be a
mistake: the clones, predominantly UCD4 and 5 (known together as
selection 108) had a big crop load and large clusters, which was not
suitable for Oregon. Also, planted ungrafted, they lacked the
benefit of devigorating rootstocks. The result, by and large, was
that Chardonnay ripened without fruit in Oregon. ‘It was a
surprise to us when we didn’t have success initially with it,’
recalls Adelsheim.
In
1974 Adelsheim worked at the Lycee Viticole in Beaune. It was here
that he became aware of the work carried out by Raymond Bernard, a
scientist from Dijon, on Chardonnay clones. In the 1950s and 60s
Chardonnay in Burgundy had suffered from fan leaf virus, and Bernard
had produced a range of virus-free clones that were in the process
of being tested. ‘It became our goal to get these clones to
Oregon,’ he says.
It
was Dr David Heatherbell, from Oregon State University, who first
imported the new Chardonnay clones to Oregon in 1984 (75, 76, 96,
98) (OSU at Corvallis is one of the three institutions in the state
to have an import licence). Then, in 1988, Adelsheim got some more
(95, 77 and 277). ‘Once we had these clones it was apparent that
the wines we could make were very different,’ says Adelsheim.
We
are now at the stage where the new clones are starting to hit their
stride. They have now been planted on 800 acres throughout Oregon,
with around 500 in the Willamette Valley. Although the total volume
of Oregon Chardonnay continues to decrease, the quality continues to
increase. ‘We have a much better understanding of Pinot clones
than Chardonnay clones,’ reveals Adelsheim. ‘We started off with
some really good Pinot clones.’
The
wines
Adelsheim
Chardonnay 2006
This is unoaked. Nutty, slightly peachy nose with bright, fresh
fruit. The palate has some nutty depth to it. There’s balance,
freshness and some complexity. 90/100
Chehalem
INOX Chardonnay 2007
Unoaked; all Dijon clone. Very zippy and fresh with grapefruity,
citrussy notes as well as a hint of nuttiness. Lively and quite
zippy with a hint of tropical fruit. 89/100
Domaine
Drouhin Oregon Arthur Chardonnay 2006 Dundee Hills
Named after Veronique Drouhin’s son; half aged in oak, half in
stainless steel. Lovely freshness with some toastiness. It’s nutty
and crisp on the palate with nice depth of flavour. Some creaminess
to the texture, too. A really sophisticated effort. 91/100
Hamacher
Cuvée Forêts Diversés Chardonnay 2005
Unusual stuff: quite fresh with a funky character, too. Herby,
fresh and rather different in style, I’m not sure what to make of
this. 86/100
Argyle
Reserve Series Nuthouse Chardonnay 2006
Creamy, nutty and toasty with some nice presence to the fruit.
Good acidity here: some citrus and grapefruit character. Lovely
crispness to this fresh, fruit-driven wine. 89/100
Adelsheim
Caitlin’s Reserve Chardonnay Stoller Vineyard 2006
Lovely broad, nutty wine with a herby edge to the fruit.
There’s a lovely presence here: it is quite Burgundian without a
big oak impression. It’s made from clone 76 and has 25% new oak.
93/100
Ponzi
Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve 2006
Rich and quite bold with intense spicy fruit and some oak
evident. However, the dominant feature here is the richly textured
fruit with some sweetness and a herby tang. Quite complex. 92/100
Chehalem
Ian’s Reserve Chardonnay 2005
All Dijon clone from a cool damp vintage; 25% new oak. Focused,
slightly minerally nose. Lovely freshness and good acidity combine
well with some richer more tropical fruit notes. Fresh and focused
with a mineral streak. 92/100
Domaine
Serene Chardonnay Côte Sud 2002 Dundee Hills
A single vineyard wine; clones 75, 76, 78, 96 and 95. Refined,
slightly toasty nose. The palate is dense and complex with lovely
richness and an attractive spicy character. It is evolving
beautifully with herby complexity and toasty notes. Quite profound.
94/100
See also:
Wines tasted 07/08
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