2018 On Wine Hill Noburg Oregon 'Methode Oxygene' Chardonnay
Many of my colleagues are constantly emulating Burgundy. Certainly, this could be one potential path to understanding what Oregon Chardonnay is and can be. But, for me we are very early in the “can be” stage. This stage demands experimentation, creativity, and fearlessness. If I was to emulate any regions Chardonnay style, I prefer to look at the Jura or Savoie as my reference point. The growing conditions and soils between Jura and Savoie are more similar to the Willamette Valley than that of Burgundy and the Willamette Valley. This to me is a better baseline for understanding and potential. It led me to the creation of a place called: Noburg, Oregon.
The Power of O2 🌬
Of course I love many examples of Chardonnay made in Burgundy, but some of the most inspiring and revelatory Chardonnays that I have had were from the Jura. There is an unmistakable power in these wines that comes from a combination of soil, elevage, oxygen, and a biological film that can develop on top of the wine during barrel aging. This combination of winemaking technique and very specific enviornmenatal conditions in the cellar add to the timelessnes of these wines. Even without the special development of the biological film, these Chardonnays are extraordinary. My “Methode Oxygene” is a journey into this misunderstood world of Chardonnay.
WINE INFO
WINE TYPE: White
APPELLATION: Willamette Valley
VINTAGE: 2018
GRAPE: Chardonnay (548 Clone)
ESTATE GROWN: No, purchased grapes
VINEYARD SOURCE: Redacted Vineyard
VINEYARD AGE: 6 years old
DRY FARMED: Yes
OWN ROOTED: Yes
SOIL TYPE: Laurelwood (Loess)
ELEVATION: 365 feet (111m)
HARVEST DATE: October xxth, 2018
HARVEST METHOD: Hand Harvested
BRIX AT HARVEST: 22 brix
SKIN CONTACT: None
CHAPTALIZATION: No
FERMENTATION: Ambient Yeast
MATURATION VESSEL: 228L DAMY & 228L Rousseau Piano
ALCOHOL (by volume): 15.10%
SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO₂): 71ppm
ACIDITY SCALE (pH): x.xx
TOTAL ACIDITY: x.x g/L
FINING AGENT: Unfined (Vegan)
FILTRATION: Unfiltered
BOTTLE SIZE: 750ml
CLOSURE TYPE: FineCorkX (99.99% TCA free)
HAND BOTTLED: Yes
PRODUCTION: 94 cases
BOTTLING DATE: January 14th, 2020
RELEASE DATE: July 15th, 2020
This wine was bottled in 🇺🇸 made glass, with a cork from 🇮🇹 and a label that was designed and printed in the 🇺🇸 .
Please ♻︎ this bottle when you are finished enjoying it.
