For years, we were told that Pinot Gris was going to be Oregon's great white varietal, as more and more winemakers began adding the expression into their repertoire. In 2006, however, the team behind Evening Land had other ideas. They pitched the idea of Oregon Chardonnay to a group of Burgundian winemakers, including the legendary Dominique Lafon, whose curiosity was piqued. When Lafon came over the next year to begin consulting, he told the growers to pick their grapes earlier, noting that Chardonnay shouldn't be overripe or flabby.
That was the first real change for Oregon: higher acidity. Seven years later, the dynamic duo of Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman (the brains behind Sandhi and Domaine de la Côte in the Sta. Rita Hills) took over the winemaking and began shaping the vineyards there. Taking inspiration from Burgundy's hill of Corton, they began planting more Chardonnay, determined to prove that their Seven Springs site had the best terroir for the varietal in the state, let alone the Eola-Amity Hills. With the 2019 vintage, they may have finally made the case. The wine is simply stunning.
2019 Evening Land Seven Springs Chardonnay $29.95
93 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR: A Chardonnay that's all about structure and minerality, with notes of apple, apricot and spice that build richness on the savory finish. Drink now. 660 cases made.
If you've tasted the white wines of Sandhi, then you know how obsessed with Burgundian style, mineral-driven whites Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman are. Yet, one can only make wines of this nature by finding the right spot of earth. As Parr wrote himself: "We are, first and foremost, faithful stewards of the historic Seven Springs vineyard, planted by Oregon wine pioneer Al MacDonald in 1984. On this dramatic east-facing slope, in the iron-rich and rocky, volcanic soils of the Eola-Amity Hills, Al MacDonald undertook what would become one of Oregon’s most recognized vineyards. Nestled against a forest of Douglas fir with views eastward to Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson, it is immediately evident to any visitor why Al chose this site." One sip of the 2019 vintage is all you'll need to understand as well. Clean, mineral-driven, and fresh on the palate, the 2019 Seven Springs is simply outstanding Chardonnay on any level.
-David Driscoll