2023 Granville - Chardonnay Willamette Valley Basalt (750ml)

Some of Jackson Holstein’s earliest memories are of bouncing around in the back of his father’s pickup between the Willamette Valley vineyards his dad managed for some of Oregon’s pioneering estates. Jackson and his wife, Ayla, now run Granville Wine Co. from the family property in the Dundee Hills. They’ve built a strong reputation for Chardonnay: Decanter named their 2022 Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay one of the top ten Oregon Chardonnays of the vintage.

The Basalt Chardonnay brings together fruit from organically farmed vineyards in the Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills. These high-elevation sites face different directions and sit on the iron-rich volcanic basalt that underlies much of the northern Willamette Valley. That combination of cool hillside sites and stony soils gives the wine its tension and mineral core. The 2023 went through partial malolactic fermentation and then aged twelve months in neutral French oak. The oak adds texture without masking the fruit.

Aromas of ripe pear, nutmeg and white flowers lead into flavors of peach and lemon curd. Notes of chamomile, chalk and smoky, flinty minerality keep the palate brisk and focused. Pour it with shellfish, roast fish or light poultry dishes.