Breaking the rut: Cameron Chard '13

All this talk about wine ruts compelled me to drift off to right field tonight for a pairing with grilled wahoo and curried cauliflower and farro salad – Oregon Chardonnay.

I have minimal experience with chards from the region but have a few bottles of 2013 Cameron Abbey Ridge that I snagged at a discount to release price.

Wow. A real eye opener. Way too young but the wine had this great tension between deep appley/gooseberry fruit and really piercing acidity. Almost Chablis like in its core of balled fruit wrapped in chalk/limestone. There’s a kiss of honey that whispers New World. I’m really impressed by length and structure. Fantastic food wine. Would love to try this again in five years.

Ore Chard… Who knew? Not me!

There are a lot of excellent Oregon Chardonnays. Walter Scott, Goodfellow, Eyrie, Brick House, Arterberry Maresh, and a host of others. The top Cameron Cuvees really shouldn’t be touched for at least five years. The other ones tend to be more approachable younger.

Unfortunately for me these superlative Chards cost more than the PN that I drink.

Dennis, I opened 2014 Cameron Dundee Hills chard this week. Long gone now, but I regret not buying more. Keep an eye out next year, hard to do better for $20.

Michael

Thanks Michael, between my wife daughter and her husband good whites disappear pretty fast around here. They ask about the reds, but whites are open season.

The 15 Dundee Hills is now at Sec and Vinopolis. Definitely worth taking a flyer.

Michael

Get on the Vincent list,and his chard is under $20 pre release.

Got some Vincent ordered and hiding them from TW, daughter and SIL.

I love Cameron

The Sec case price on the '15 Dundee Hills Cameron chard is $16.55. Buy a case and forget about it for about 3 or 4 years. John Paul breaks in his new oak barrels on this wine, I believe, so the oak signature is stronger here than on his SVD chards, which I believe use all seasoned barrels. But it will integrate. I just opened some '12 a few weeks ago and it is really nicely balanced and a ridiculous QPR.

I was blown away when I tasted the 2012 of this wine a few years ago…at $16.55/bottle it’s absolutely worth a case. Hell, if I was smart…I might buy two.

I ordered a half case to keep the Vincent company.

I ordered two cases of mixed stuff from the Vincent pre-release, including chard. I’m an equal opportunity guy!

Shhhhhh. Carmeron chardonnay terrible. Repeat after me: Cameron Chardonnay terrible…

Does anyone know the difference between Cameron’s Dundee and Willamette Valley designations for his Chardonnay? JP told me once, at least for his 2014s, that the WV chard was mostly from barrels that didn’t quite make it into the Abbey Ridge bottles, having a touch of residual sugar or whatnot. But Abbey Ridge is within Dundee AVA i believe, so is the estate vineyard i thought. So does the Dundee Hills chard contain some leftover Clos Electique as well? Maybe the Dundee Hills chard comprises the second best barrels, with WV being what’s left over, thereby preserving the sanctity of the name for Dundee Hills AVA? It’s all Dundee Hills which is why I’m confused.

John only gets Chardonnay fruit from the Dundee Hills AVA, namely Abbey Ridge Vineyard and Clos Electrique. The Willamette Valley designation is for wine that doesn’t make the cut for the Dundee Hills for one reason or another. One year the WV designation had more noticeable oak than the Dundee Hills (the SVDs see no new oak). Another year there was some fruit with a small amount of residual sugar.

There are certain blocks of chardonnay in Abbey Ridge that are considered for the SVD wine. There are also some other Abbey Ridge blocks that just about always go into the Dundee Hills. Keep in mind that John rarely makes more than 125 cases of either of the SVD wines, and usually less, so the lion’s share of the Chardonnay goes into the Dundee Hills designation. John also makes a Reserve Chardonnay (priced between the Dundee Hills and the SVDs) and Wadsworth Chardonnay ($100+) on occasion. Amounts on these two designations is rarely more than 50 cases.

Opened a 2013 Cameron Clos Electrique last night and the bottle still needs a couple of additional years to totally unwind and fully reveal its Burgundian spice characteristics. Wished I had more but was mighty impressed and will try and acquire more in the future.