2021 Lonesome Rock The Estate Chardonnay

2021 The Estate Chardonnay

From the Library: Our Inaugural Vintage Willamette Valley Chardonnay from Our High Elevation Vineyard

A limited-production, estate-grown Chardonnay drawn from a single south-facing parcel at Lonesome Rock, planted in volcanic soils at high elevation along the forested edge of the Coast Range. Sourced from just 1.28 acres, the site’s cool nights and steady airflow shape an aromatic, energetic wine of expressive fruit, clarity, tension, and depth, defined by a crisp, mineral edge.

Tasting Notes

Carmelized citrus with ripe pear aromas, the 2021 Chardonnay has a smooth texture with hints of almond butter, ginger, and vanilla bean. Good richess, but finishes with a refreshing granny smith snap. Drink now through 2033.

Winemaking Notes

Fruit was harvested from three sections of the vineyard on 3 separate days over 2 weeks. A light foot tread before pressing prior to transfer without settling to a mixture of new, one-year, and neutral French oak barrels, puncheon, and stainless steel. Each vessel undergoes ambient fermentation and ages 10 months during which 75% undergoes malolactic fermentation. Lightly filtered at bottling.

2021 Growing Season

The excitement of being new vineyard owners still hasn’t worn off, but it didn’t take long for the weather to become our biggest concern. So when three consecutive 100+ degree days were forecast for the last week of June, we worried about damage to the crop. Fortunately, the tiny green clusters were past bloom and still well before veraison, putting them at a stage where they were relatively protected from the heat.

Summer then unfolded with one hundred days without measurable rain, followed by a classic Willamette Valley fall of warm days and cool nights. Here in the Coast Range, nighttime temperatures dropped into the low 40s just three days before our first pick. After the heat of summer, those cold nights were a welcome sight.

We harvested our youngest vines on September 21 and our 2007 plantings on September 29, averaging 2.1 tons per acre—a normal yield for Lonesome Rock and comparable to yields in Grand Cru Burgundy.

Many of our friends and neighbors in the Willamette Valley consider 2021 one of the great vintages of their careers. It certainly kept us on the edge of our seats, but we feel fortunate that such a highly regarded vintage became the first chapter for Lonesome Rock.