2019 Hamilton Russell Oregon - Chardonnay Maple Grove (750ml)

Hamilton Russell Vineyards built an international reputation over more than forty vintages of classically styled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from South Africa's cool climate Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Proprietors Anthony and Olive Hamilton Russell had visited the Willamette Valley regularly since the 1990s, and after considering both Burgundy and California's Santa Rita Hills, they settled on Oregon as the place to extend their winemaking into the Northern Hemisphere, drawn by the region's move toward the same refined, classic style they favor at home.

The 2019 Maple Grove Chardonnay marked the winery's maiden vintage from this single vineyard near Monmouth, southwest of Salem in an area just south of the Van Duzer Corridor. The fruit, a pure planting of Dijon clone 95, was fermented with the estate's own indigenous yeasts and aged in a mix of new and older French oak barrels from the Francois Freres cooperage. The 2019 growing season ran a few days ahead of the prior year, with healthy acidity and high concentration in the fruit despite some September rain slowing things down late in the season.

The wine shows creamy, leesy lemon biscuit notes layered with waxy yellow citrus and a saline, stony minerality. The palate is smooth and toasty, with ripe pear and apple fruit wrapped in a soft, buttery texture balanced by good acidity. It pairs beautifully with roast chicken, seared scallops, or a rich mushroom risotto.