2021 Illahe Vineyards "Reserve" Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

ABOUT THIS WINE

This Reserve Chardonnay was grown at Ash Creek Vineyards, our neighbors in the Mt. Pisgah AVA. Fermented in French and acacia barrels, this very limited production wine has aromas of honeydew melon, graham cracker, cinnamon, pineapple, and singed meyer lemon. The Chardonnay was fermented naturally and went through partial malolactic fermentation and saw 25% new French oak. Barrel stirring weekly for 3 months, then bi-weekly.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

At Illahe, our goal is to make wine as naturally as possible from soil to bottle. We work by hand on small lots with age-old techniques and materials. Our focus is to grow and make quality Pinot Noir and white wines that express the vintage and their varietal characteristics. We don't use enzymes or additives. Some of our wines are made entirely by hand, with no electricity or modern mechanization. We use a gentle wooden basket press and age our Pinot Noir in French and Oregon oak.

Quality wine starts with quality fruit in the vineyard. Our 80-acre, south-facing vineyard lives in shallow clay soils. Like our friends in the Deep Roots Coalition, which is committed to dry agriculture and responsible water practices, we do not irrigate mature plants. As one of Oregon’s few horse-powered vineyards we utilize a team of Percheron draft horses to mow and deliver grapes to the winery at harvest.