2021 Willamette Valley Chardonnay

In the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where the Cascade Range shelters and the Pacific breeze whispers, the vineyards of Winderlea draw their essence. The fruit for this Chardonnay comes from select parcels in the Dundee Hills AVA (Winderlea and Worden Hill Vineyards) and the McMinnville AVA (Meredith Mitchell Vineyard) — two distinct sites united in character. On the Dundee Hills side, ancient volcanic soils and clay-loam foster depth and brightness; the McMinnville site, exposed to the Van Duzer corridor winds, lends intensity and subtle mineral tension. From vine to bottle, the climate offers warm afternoons softened by cool nights, crafting Chardonnay that balances texture with freshness.

The 2021 Willamette Valley Chardonnay is a portrait of subtle precision and quiet beauty. Mineral and linear at its core, it opens with notes of ripe pear, lemon curd, and white peach, lifted by a fine thread of citrus zest and faint salinity. The oak is present but not overpowering — a soft frame rather than a flavor. On the palate, it moves with grace: bright, balanced, and light on its feet, yet never lacking depth. The acidity gives a gentle tension that carries the fruit effortlessly, while a silky texture brings poise and harmony. This is a clean, honest Chardonnay — one that captures the sunshine of Oregon without losing its composure. Unshowy but confident, it lingers with quiet charm and a promise of complexity to come. Not a wine trying to impress, but one that grows on you — genuine, elegant, and born of patience.

We entrust the 2021 Willamette Valley Chardonnay to Ocean Fathoms’ patented underwater cellar, where the sea becomes both muse and clay. In custom-designed steel cages, the bottles descend into pristine Pacific waters, where stable pressure, darkness and a gentle galvanic current quietly work their alchemy. Here the oak begins to melt into the fruit, the acidity and texture achieve their balance, and every aromatic thread finds its perfect neighbor. The result is a Chardonnay that retains its brightness and minerality, yet wears a softer silk-like texture — elegant, integrated and complete. The ocean, with its rhythmic cradle of tides, deepens the wine’s expression of terroir: the volcanic hillside, the McMinnville winds, and the vineyard’s patience all speak more softly — and more convincingly. The final pour is one of harmony: oak, fruit and soil in conversation, refined by altitude and perfected by the tide.