Friday TNs: Three 2017 Oregon Chardonnays

Bob_Hughes · June 5, 2020, 4:38pm

I decided to open this trio to pair up with some take-out sushi later on. I believe my first time trying out the two Durants side-by-side. And while I don’t think Walter Scott makes wine from the Dundee Hills AVA, I threw the Justice in there as well to see where it was at. Not sure how the respective winemakers feel about it at this time, but to me the 2017 Chardonnays just seem to have an additional “edginess” to them that I haven’t seen in 2018. Both great drinking vintages for sure, and maybe I’m misinterpreting this quality, but all three of these wines today feel like they have a lot of time in front of them.

2017 Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay Durant Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (6/5/2020)
Still with that reductive flint/petrol/matchstick on the nose. I love it, and this is not overly pronounced at this point, but if you don’t like reductive aromas on the nose, you may not like this.

Focused on the palate, like a laser beam of Chardonnay deliciousness. Tart white fruits, great acidity, good persistence - really the complete package here, and a wine that I feel will age effortlessly, even if I seem to be unable to keep my hands off this!

2017 Patricia Green Cellars Chardonnay Durant Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (6/5/2020)
Boy, the nose on this is totally different than the Goodfellow. Something like a lemon cream note - definitely citrus, at any rate.

Like the Goodfellow, also a wine with great persistence - a finish that I am still tasting as I type this. I had been wanting to try the Patricia Green side by side with the Goodfellow, and off today, I’d say we have two wines that feel like they will easily be around and providing drinking pleasure for another 10 years.

2017 Walter Scott Chardonnay Justice Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills (6/5/2020)
The nose here has a reductive note similar to the Goodfellow, although maybe leaning more petrol than matchstick.

Tart white fruits on the palate - like the two previous wines, still a youngster, but for whatever reason this feels like it will be ready sooner. Assuming I can exhibit the discipline to do so, I wouldn’t mind trying all three of these again in about 2-3 years.

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Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r · June 5, 2020, 4:58pm

Thanks for the notes Bob. Love the 2017 Goodfellow Durant.

Sean_S · June 5, 2020, 7:10pm

Hi Bob, I get more edge and cut on the 17’s and 18’s seem to have this hint more of ripeness without the extra weight. reminds me, I have a few PGC Chards in the cellar and have yet to try one.

Sean

Marcus_Goodfellow · June 6, 2020, 4:27am

It should be pretty fun to see the PGC and Goodfellow Durant side by side. The fruit is from the same section the vineyard and picked within a day or two of each other.

Thanks for the TNs!

Jim_Anderson · June 6, 2020, 1:17pm

Actually since 2016 we utilize 2 sections of Durant Vineyard. Half is the same block of Dijon 95 in the upper portion of the vineyard that Marcus has had for quite some time. The other half is a lower and much flatter section of Dijon 76 at the bottom of the site. This is also planted in marine soil as opposed to the reddish volcanic Jory soil almost universally seen in the Dundee Hills AVA. This block usually takes another 2 weeks (16 days in 2019) to get to a point of pickability. Even then it comes in with higher TA, lower brix and pH than the Dijon 95. It is distinctly leaner and more mineral driven than the 95. In 2017 it was largely fermented in concrete and that was so successful almost all of the entirety of the 2018 and 2019 Chardonnays were concrete fermented. Just providing perspective and, again, Marcus is better at Chardonnay than am I and I’ve survived so far be stealing his ideas.

Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i · June 6, 2020, 1:29pm

Bob, I thought your wife was the Chardonnay “afficionada”? Quite an ongoing exploration. She should be happy!

Jim, how long was your Chard making hiatus? I’m sure Marcus is willing to share some of his ideas (not the better ones naturally).

RT

Jim_Anderson · June 6, 2020, 1:40pm

No Chardonnay production from 2009-2014. And in 2019 we grafted over 2 acres of Pinot Noir in our Estate Vineyard to Chardonnay. Times change.

Mattstolz · June 6, 2020, 1:49pm

last year on the same day my wife and I tasted PGC, Goodfellow, and Kelley Fox Durant Chards from barrel one visit after the other. What a great day!

they all make a delicious wine from the fruit they get, and it was interesting because just like Bob mentioned they are all definitely different!

Marcus_Goodfellow · June 6, 2020, 10:59pm

It should be pretty fun to see the PGC and Goodfellow Durant side by side. The fruit is from the same section the vineyard and picked within a day or two of each other.

Thanks for the TNs!

Actually since 2016 we utilize 2 sections of Durant Vineyard. Half is the same block of Dijon 95 in the upper portion of the vineyard that Marcus has had for quite some time. The other half is a lower and much flatter section of Dijon 76 at the bottom of the site. This is also planted in marine soil as opposed to the reddish volcanic Jory soil almost universally seen in the Dundee Hills AVA. This block usually takes another 2 weeks (16 days in 2019) to get to a point of pickability. Even then it comes in with higher TA, lower brix and pH than the Dijon 95. It is distinctly leaner and more mineral driven than the 95. In 2017 it was largely fermented in concrete and that was so successful almost all of the entirety of the 2018 and 2019 Chardonnays were concrete fermented. Just providing perspective and, again, Marcus is better at Chardonnay than am I and I’ve survived so far be stealing his ideas.

Hi Jim,

Actually we’ve taken the fruit, both 76 and 96,from down at the foot of the vineyard since 2011. I took a bit of the 95 up by where we get Pinot Noir for the first time in 2017. That was offered to me at harvest, and was definitely riper than I preferred, so the 2017 Durant is 100% from the lower block. It’s been my feeling that cool air pools at the foot of the hill, keeping temps and sugars down and acids up in those blocks.
In 2018 we picked the 95 up on the slope earlier, but my preference is still for the fruit down low and we passed on a third vintage of the 95.

Just my opinion but I do believe that in Oregon, Chardonnay does best at the foot of the hill or on the top of it.

Jim_Anderson · June 7, 2020, 12:11am

It should be pretty fun to see the PGC and Goodfellow Durant side by side. The fruit is from the same section the vineyard and picked within a day or two of each other.

Thanks for the TNs!

Actually since 2016 we utilize 2 sections of Durant Vineyard. Half is the same block of Dijon 95 in the upper portion of the vineyard that Marcus has had for quite some time. The other half is a lower and much flatter section of Dijon 76 at the bottom of the site. This is also planted in marine soil as opposed to the reddish volcanic Jory soil almost universally seen in the Dundee Hills AVA. This block usually takes another 2 weeks (16 days in 2019) to get to a point of pickability. Even then it comes in with higher TA, lower brix and pH than the Dijon 95. It is distinctly leaner and more mineral driven than the 95. In 2017 it was largely fermented in concrete and that was so successful almost all of the entirety of the 2018 and 2019 Chardonnays were concrete fermented. Just providing perspective and, again, Marcus is better at Chardonnay than am I and I’ve survived so far be stealing his ideas.

Hi Jim,

Actually we’ve taken the fruit, both 76 and 96,from down at the foot of the vineyard since 2011. I took a bit of the 95 up by where we get Pinot Noir for the first time in 2017. That was offered to me at harvest, and was definitely riper than I preferred, so the 2017 Durant is 100% from the lower block. It’s been my feeling that cool air pools at the foot of the hill, keeping temps and sugars down and acids up in those blocks.
In 2018 we picked the 95 up on the slope earlier, but my preference is still for the fruit down low and we passed on a third vintage of the 95.

Just my opinion but I do believe that in Oregon, Chardonnay does best at the foot of the hill or on the top of it.

Ah. Got it. Well, we agree completely then. Unsurprisingly. I very much prefer the 76 down in the Lark Block. I like the blend of the two but have gotten pretty severe about the picking decision in the 95. I think we and maybe 1 other person in that block were the first picks in 2019 and I think Paul was a little surprised at how early on we were going. Even so I think in 2020 I will be in there even earlier as the numbers bear out that that would be a good decision. The blend of the two has been nice and worked well in 2017 and 2018 (even more fluidly IMO) and I think the 2019 whites are terrific in Oregon.

The grafting we did is on an east sloping block that terminates at the tall tree line of Tilikum. Little to no morning sun and a definite collection point of cool night air. I’m quite excited about the harvest of it this year as I think the combination of climate and soil and vine age (21 years) and source cuttings (Brick House Vineyard) should all add up to terrific raw material.

Mike_Evans · June 8, 2020, 12:45am

Tonight’s 2017 Goodfellow Chardonnay:

2017 Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay Dundee Hills - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (6/7/2020)
Matchstick, minerals, and Meyer lemon, a lovely balance of richness and austerity and it takes on more depth and dimension with Greek roasted sea bass with a light lemon caper sauce. An excellent wine and tremendous value. (91 pts.)