CS: September 2023

Chardonnay All Day: Try these uber-sippable whites

Panel Pick: Iterum Wines 2020 Orchard House Vineyard Estate Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills

Enticing scents of granite, peach, lemon, toast and browned butter. This wine is self-actualized having left all bitterness behind. A multifaceted palate boasts toasted notes, lemon curd/orange marmalade richness, a repeat of granite and browned butter— all culminating in a brûlée conclusion. $75

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2021 Dijon Clone Chardonnay, Willamette Valley

A hot day Chardonnay. Wisps of lemon-lime citrus meet apricot on the nose. Light-bodied and well-constructed, the palate is refreshing with pear, apricot, minerality and a touch of grassiness. $28

Andante Vineyard 2019 Chardonnay, Van Duzer Corridor

Tropical melon, salinity and nectarine blend with some oak on the nose. Fruity roundness is balanced with precise acidity, salinity, notes of grass and a limestone minerality. $32

Phelps Creek Vineyards 2022 Unoaked Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge

Pretty with tropical fruits and florals - lime, pineapple, hibiscus and rose. Definitely a wine from the “fruit loop.” A blend of light tropical fruit flavors get a floral lift on the palate, finishing with sweet lime. $24

Winter’s Hill 2021 Estate Grown Chardonnay, Dundee Hill

Wafting gardenia, honeysuckle and Meyer lemon beckons. Smooth and full-bodied, subtle oak mingles with sweet citrus, fleshy peach and a balancing grapefruit bitterness on the conclusion. $44

Lonesome Rock 2021 The Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley

White peach, lychee and cantaloupe predict a pleasantly-rounded, fruity palate with a balance of mineral limestone. $60

Youngberg Hill 2021 Aspen Chardonnay, McMinnville

Yellow apple, pasture, clover and grass create an interesting nose. Brightly balanced granite, fresh florals and a bitter herb undertone carry across a long finale. $45

Foris Vineyards 2021 Estate Grown Chardonnay, Rogue Valley

Fresh aromas of lime, orange and grass. Orange curd and mineral notes appear on a bright palate that is richer than the nose predicts. $20

Nysa Vineyard 2019 Chardonnay, Dundee Hills

Rich aromas with unmistakable Mandarin orange, honey, clover and grass. Sophisticated on the palate, nectarine is balanced with a grassy strain, limestone and salinity that grows into an extended finish. $65

Potcake Cellars 2021 Blonde Chardonnay, Royal Potcake Vineyard, Dundee Hills

Light lemony butterscotch, confected orange and pineapple on the nose predict sweet citrus flavors on the palate. Meyer lemon and fresh orange appear on a balanced, bright and mouth-watering palate. $65

Iris Vineyards 2020 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley

Like Bananas Foster at the coast— sweet banana, caramel, taffy and salty air. Vanilla and taffy present with vibrancy and are balanced by minerality and salinity. $30

Bryn Mawr Vineyards 2021 Estate Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills

Decadent aromas of jasmine, peach and bananas foster. Round and full-bodied, the aromas continue on the palate with the addition of honey, pear and an oaky ending. $50

Denison Cellars 2021 Eola Springs Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills

White peach, Asian pear and coastal air lend complexity to the nose. Honeysuckle appears on a bright palate with ripe peach and a long finale. $45

Blakeslee Vineyard Estate, 2021 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains

Sophisticated and elegant, with aromas of clover and green leafy herbs. Flavors of sea air, white pepper, fresh herbs and grassiness build across the palate with a slight bitterness from oaky tannins. $52

Björnson Vineyard 2021 Reserve Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills

A mineral salinity base layers with grassy herbs, lavender and white peach. French oak lends tannin to the palate with sweet white peach, followed by jasmine and gardenia from mid-palate through the finish. $40

Westmount 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley

Fresh aromas of tomato plant, dill, cantaloupe and mineral. Salinity rises on the palate with chalky limestone, fresh orange and a cantaloupe finish dashed with white pepper spiciness. $25

Mt. Hood Winery 2022 Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge

Tropical notes define this wine throughout. Pineapple, orange and sweet jasmine move delightfully from nose to a round, balanced palate with a long floral and citrus pith conclusion. $38

Soléna Estate 2021 Domaine Danielle Laurent Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton

Slightly shy on the nose with hay and fresh grass. The palate opens boasting pear, cilantro sweet white peach, orange zest and a crisp refreshing finish. $65

Bailey Family 2018 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley

Appearing shy at first with limestone and oak on the nose, the soft beginning blooms as tart apple, honey, earthy florals, white pepper, salinity, minerality and oak build across a palate of spectacular balance and an extended finish. $95

Zerba Cellars 2020 Estate Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley

A complex nose— mineral-driven limestone and chalk, sweet honey and jasmine, plus unexpected spicy radish. The honey-toned palate presents richly with ginger spice and mango. $25

Durant Vineyards 2021 Southside Chardonnay, Dundee Hills

A day in the tropics with scents of tangerine, pineapple and honeydew. Tropical fruit flavors marry into a palate with no sharp edges. Toasted butterscotch and a bit of flat-leaf parsley bitterness toward the finish keep things interesting. $55