2024 Walter Scott - Chardonnay Willamette Valley La Combe Verte (750ml)

Walter Scott was founded in 2008 by Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon, who launched the label out of Patricia Green Cellars before establishing their own home in the Eola-Amity Hills. Named for the winemaker's grandfather and nephew, both named Walter, the winery has grown into one of the most respected Burgundian-style addresses in the Willamette Valley, working exclusively with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pahlow and Landon have been particularly influential in shifting how the region and its wine drinkers think about Chardonnay, treating the variety with the same seriousness and terroir focus long reserved for Pinot Noir.

La Combe Verte, or "the green valley," is Walter Scott's appellation-level Chardonnay, blending the volcanic snap of their Eola-Amity Hills sites with the old-vine depth of Hyland Vineyard and the marine sedimentary power of Freedom Hill. Additional fruit is sourced from Koosah, Sojeau, and Witness Tree, giving the final blend a broad geological range to draw from. The wine is fermented with native yeasts, carried through full malolactic conversion, and raised in large-format barrels with minimal batonnage, an approach designed to build texture without heavy oak influence or excessive lees stirring.

The nose shows green apple, preserved lemon, and white peach, with a hint of toasted hazelnut running beneath the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied and polished, carried by a clean, mineral thread and finishing dry with real lift. Pour this Chardonnay with roast chicken, pan-seared halibut, or a Dungeness crab roll.