TN: 2016 Walter Scott Chardonnay X-Novo Vineyard

2016 Walter Scott Chardonnay X-Novo Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (8/10/2018)
Light hay in color, has some SO2 that needs time to air out; starts slowly and just builds in richness to a crescendo, then fades slowly in a long finish, great acidity and balance, with some nice umami/saline notes. Tremendous wine, and maybe the closest thing to a Burg-killer I’ve found from any domestic Chardonnay. (93 pts.)

Have 6 of these that I’m sitting on…tempted to open one, as I’ve never tried this bottling.

Opened a ‘16 Cuvée Anne the other night that was fantastic.

What day you on the X Novo? Give it some time or check in?

Pop n pour, better with a little air, but it drinks well pretty soon after opening. If you have 6, definitely try one now, it’s delicious.

They are releasing a 2017 chard next week!
I did not buy enough x novo

Oh yeah, credit to Charlie for introducing me to this wine [cheers.gif]

Any idea how the 17 vintage compares to 16?

probably my favorite domestic chard producer out there

Larger vintage, ken says it’s close in quality and the wines are killer…

FYI, I sell these wines and have for 5+ years, ken is a friend and making stellar wines…

FYI part 2… of you give Fu credit for turning you into these wines it was a sample I sent him a damn year before he actually tried it that got him into these wines…

I think at this point they need to hire Fu as their national sales manager!

Yum, still have some of those and some '15’s left. I honestly think that Marcus Goodfellow’s Richard’s Cuvee and surprisingly the Arterberry Maresh (Maresh vineyard) are in the same league. I think Walter Scott’s Freedom hill is super interesting as well and the Budget Cuvee is impressive. Looking forward to the release. Will be going deeper than last year.

Aterberry Maresh, Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay

Had just randomly posted this note from dinner on Thursday and saw this post.

Sean

Yep! Jason turned me on this. Sat in my wine fridge for almost a year before I pulled it randomly with some lawyer buddies. Thanks brosef!

Visited Walter Scott in 2015, and heading back in two weeks! Super nice people, killer Chardonnay. Recommended if you’re in the valley.

When this week and is the X Novo in this release?

Just drinking the 2016 Pinot Noir Cuvée Ruth. Some of the finest wines coming out of the Willamette to my palate.

Le combe verte. Sorry not this week. Just sometime this month

X Novo and single vineyards are Spring release, Combe Verte chard/Pinot fall release… last year they released the Ruth with the Combe Verte’s, I don’t think that is happening this year.

I dug up my old email to see when this was made available: Feb 13, 2018. This is what they had to say:

2016 Chardonnay, X Novo Vineyard, Eola-Amity Hills
275 cases produced
$65.00

In 2010 Craig & Robin Williams, of California Cabernet fame, came to Oregon where they purchased a few pieces of land in the Eola-Amity Hills and began planting vineyards. What they did would turn heads. For example, the Chardonnay block that we are honored to work with is planted to at least fifteen different clones of Chardonnay! It is one of the most unique sites in Oregon, if not the west coast, so much so that Wine & Spirits magazine just wrote an article on Willamette Valley Chardonnay and focused on this site. The site is farmed impeccably by Stirling Fox with Craig constantly pushing to produce the best Chardonnay in the Valley.

The wine has an incredible, almost exotic intensity leaning towards, lemongrass, yellow peach, tangerine and mango skin. On the palate it has great balance with a dense concentration of fruit leading to a long minerally finish.

This wine was fermented with ambient yeast and minimal bâtonnage. Then aged in a mix of new and neutral 500 & 350 liter barrels for 12 months. The wine is finally racked and blended to stainless steel for an additional 3 months prior to bottling.

The X-Novo is a great Chardonnay and, to me at least, a fascinating counterpoint to the finesse and elegance of Ken’s Freedom Hill Chardonnay.

As Jason noted, the single vineyard Chardonnay’s and Pinot Noir’s will be released in the Spring. For 2017 there will be 4 SVD Chardonnay’s: Freedom Hill, Justice, Seven Springs and X-Novo.

Thanks for the info.

Ken’s first ever Gamay from Arlyn Vineyard (Chehalem Mountains AVA) and Cuvee Ruth (Eola-Amity) will both be part of the Fall Release along with both the Willamette Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings.

That line up of Chardonnay vineyard bottlings is essentially an Oregon murderers row. Jesus. [worship.gif]

Thanks, Andy. I tasted the Gamay out of barrel with Ken in May and loved it. Can’t wait to order some.