Stateside Stars of Chardonnay

Energy, Elegance and Mineral Appeal from Mayacamas, Radio-Coteau and Eyrie
Stateside Stars of Chardonnay
The Chardonnay grape is known for its malleability. Excesses of sunshine and winemaking have been known to abuse this compliant nature, not least in the US. Today’s three featured producers take no such liberties, making the most of cooling influences—the altitude of Mount Veeder, the fogs of Sonoma Coast or the latitude and Pacific influence of the Dundee Hills—to showcase slow-ripened, clear-cut energy. Respect, restraint and intuition in the cellar have delivered four impeccable Chardonnays.

Mayacamas has carved out a towering reputation for the intricate, ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon it grows high on Mount Veeder. But it was Chardonnay that propelled it to Napa icon status, with the first vines planted in 1975, up above the fog line at 700 metres. Words like “bright and racy”—even “Chablis-like”—in the reviews below might come as a surprise, but this layered wine shows the profoundness of its highland volcanic soils in timeless fashion.

Hopping over to the Sonoma Coast, Eric Sussman’s scintillating form continues. “Radio-Coteau stands out in the Sonoma landscape for wines of exceptional purity, transparency and pedigree,” is Antonio Galloni’s verdict. And who doesn’t like to see those virtues in their Chardonnay? From 2020, we have an exceptional single-site wine from the Savoy vineyard in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley, almost Meursault-esque in its richness and complexity. And, from ’21 comes Wingtine Chardonnay, a wine that combines Sussman’s biodynamic home vineyard with Heintz Ranch—referred to by Robert Parker as “one of the greatest Grand Cru sites for Chardonnay in California”.

We round out this trip with the estate at the heart of the Oregon origin story. “Eyrie wines have always been exemplars of finesse and nuance,” Wine Spectator’s Matt Kramer declares. David Lett didn’t just plant the first vines here; he set and raised a benchmark for farming and sympathetic winemaking that continues to be a global reference. His son, Jason, continues this tradition. The 2021 Chardonnay—based on 57-year-old vines—gleams with Eyrie’s innate class, and the 2019 wine from Eyrie Vineyard is a resplendent, deftly hewn slice of history.

The Wines

The Eyrie Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
Added

The Eyrie Vineyards Chardonnay 2021

Eyrie’s Chardonnay story reinforces the visionary nature of its founder, David Lett. When planting Chardonnay back in 1964, he eschewed what he saw as unsuitable clones from UC Davis, choosing instead mass-selection cuttings from old vines (Draper clone, planted in the 1890s and 1930s) in California that he felt better suited to Oregon’s cooler climate. Unsurprisingly, his foresight has paid off, and Eyrie now boasts some of Oregon's oldest and most revered Chardonnay vine material. Since 2015, he has included a small portion of fruit from mass-selection vines (Wente clone and Sterling clone) planted in Sisters Vineyard in the foundational Eyrie Vineyard base.

The clonal breakdown for the 2021 Chardonnay is as follows: 61% Draper Selection from 57-year-old vines on the original Eyrie Vineyard; 26% Wente clone from eight-year-old vines in Sisters Vineyard; and 13% Sterling clone from eight-year-old vines in Sisters Vineyard. 2021 was another low-yielding season marked by warm, dry periods punctuated by short spells of rain. The summer was warm but brought into balance by a cool close to the season in September and October, while chilly nights preserved acid freshness across the board. Handpicked fruit was lightly pressed as whole bunches in a combination of antique basket press and Champagne cycle press. The juice was then gently run to primarily neutral French oak barrels (5% new) for natural fermentation. It underwent full malolactic conversion and matured for 11 months on lees with no stirring.

“The 2021 Chardonnay Estate offers exotic aromas of ripe peaches, honey, pie crust, tangerine oil and musky floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive with an impressively concentrated core of spicy fruit. Its broad, mouth-coating texture is balanced by fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish with flavor that goes on and on.”
96 points, Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate
“Coming from relatively younger vines planted in 2013 and pouring a pale yellow hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Estate takes on delicate floral aromatics of citrus blossoms, quince, and fresh pear. Medium-bodied, it fills the palate with elegant, ripe fruit and is silky-textured, with great balance and a clean finish. Drink this refreshing, supple white over the next 5-6 years.”
93 points, jebdunnuck.com
“It’s a rich wine but elegantly so. Milk toffee apple, ripe peach and nougat and ruby grapefruit in the back, nut husk and shell, rich spices come later on, like masala mix, red apple skin, cinnamon dusted apple, peach moving into cinnamon roll and even apple pie. Yes, all sounds rich but in a satisfying way, pleasing way. With concentration and length. A decadent style.”
95 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
The Eyrie Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
Added
The Eyrie Vineyards The Eyrie Chardonnay 2019
Added

The Eyrie Vineyards The Eyrie Chardonnay 2019

David Lett planted the first Chardonnay vines in Willamette in 1965, making the original Draper clone vines in The Eyrie Vineyard the oldest in the Valley. Each year, Jason Lett (David’s son and current owner/winemaker) selects the finest barrels for this bottling. Above all else, Jason wants his single vineyard bottlings to taste like the site. To this end, he takes a proportional approach, ensuring each block is represented in some capacity in the final wine. He tastes every barrel and chooses the components that play best with each other. “It’s not always my favourite barrels,” Jason tells us. “In fact, if I were to make a blend of just my favourites, it would probably taste quite boring. I often find I need to introduce a barrel that, on its own, didn’t impress me, but as a foil in the blend brings sparkle and life to the wine.” Humble and self-aware, a dangerous combination!

Jason Lett describes the 2019 autumn as one of the most Burgundian he has ever seen in the Valley, meaning the rain and cooler days that usually occur in the winter arrived earlier and were more evenly spread. It was a moderate season with good acid retention across the board. The fruit is gently destemmed, crushed and pressed slowly. Fermentation and full malolactic conversion take place in primarily old wood (9.5% new), and the wine matures in the cool cellar for a year on lees before resting further in bottle prior to release.

“The 2019 Chardonnay The Eyrie, matured in just 11.5% new oak, is expressive and singular, offering an alluring dynamic of ripe, spicy fruit and savory bass tones. A core of baked apple fruit is accented by scents of mushroom powder, flint, fallen leaves and cinnamon on the nose, shifting continually as it spends time in the glass. The medium-bodied palate is incredibly concentrated yet boasts focused acidity that drives its generous flavors into a long, flinty finish.”
98 points, Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate
The Eyrie Vineyards The Eyrie Chardonnay 2019
Added
Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
Sold Out
Added

Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay 2021

Mayacamas is famed today for its thrilling and ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon, but the estate’s journey to Napa Valley icon status was propelled by acclaim for its Chardonnay. The first Chardonnay vines—all Wente clone—went in the ground at the property in 1975. After the estate’s sale in 2013 to the Schottenstein family, extensive replanting saw the retention of this classic US Chardonnay clone, supplemented by a few blocks of Dijon. The Chardonnay blocks are scattered throughout the 475-acre property (only 50 are planted to vines) and sit on various soil profiles (volcanic ash, gravelly loam, cobbled clay) at different elevations (550-650 metres) and aspects. This mélange of topographical features and clonal material paints a picture of the site, takes a snapshot in time and consistently results in a harmonious and balanced wine with mountainous character and experience-led charm.

Each block is picked separately in the cool early morning, and multiple passes are made to ensure only perfectly ripe, healthy fruit makes the cut. In the cellar, the fruit is hand-sorted and pressed predominantly (95%) as whole clusters at very low pressure. The juice is cold-settled and racked to old barrels for a long, cool primary fermentation. Importantly—and unusually for the region—malolactic conversion is inhibited at Mayacamas; it has been this way since the Bob Travers days from the 1970s to the 2000s. This gives a beautiful racy character to the broad and powerful framework of fruit. The wine then rests in barrels of various sizes with no stirring for 12 months. The use of new oak is also negligible at just one or two barrels per year… Cali Chardonnay without the make-up, if you like!

“The 2021 Chardonnay is a rich, phenolic wine that shows just how distinctive this site is. Rich and layered, with striking intensity, the 2021 is lights out today. Lemon oil, almond, dried flowers and earthy undertones open beautifully with aeration.”
95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2021 Chardonnay is bright and racy, with a clean, pure style as well as a kiss of good reduction in its citrus, lemon, and tart melon-like aromas and flavors. This Chablis-like Chardonnay will evolve nicely over the coming 10-12 years if well stored.”
94 points, jebdunnuck.com
“The 2021 Chardonnay is made in a crisp, restrained style, spending 12 months in a mix of different barrels, up to 500 liters in volume. Less than 10% are new, and malolactic fermentation is blocked to retain freshness. Melon, pear and citrus notes come through on the nose and medium-bodied palate, while the finish is moderately silky in texture yet zesty, powered by bright lemon-lime notes.”
96 points, 92+ points, Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate
“The 2021 Chardonnay is made in a crisp, restrained style, spending 12 months in a mix of different barrels, up to 500 liters in volume. Less than 10% are new, and malolactic fermentation is blocked to retain freshness. Melon, pear and citrus notes come through on the nose and medium-bodied palate, while the finish is moderately silky in texture yet zesty, powered by bright lemon-lime notes.”
92+ points, Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate
Mayacamas Vineyards Chardonnay 2021
Sold Out
Added
Radio-Coteau Sonoma Coast Wingtine Chardonnay 2021
Added

Radio-Coteau Sonoma Coast Wingtine Chardonnay 2021

The Wingtine Chardonnay is named after a specialised cultivation tool, the wing tine shank. It is used by Radio-Coteau—and more broadly in the Sonoma Coast area—to cultivate their Goldridge (sandy loam) soils. Its unique design lifts and fractures the ground vertically and horizontally, reducing tractor passes while maintaining soil structure.

The cuvée is sourced from Radio-Coteau’s biodynamic estate vineyard and the Heintz Ranch vineyard, just a stone’s throw away in Occidental. The estate vineyard’s SeaBed plot is home to several of the Wente clones, the original of which arrived from Burgundy in 1912. Described by Robert Parker as “one of the greatest Grand Cru sites for Chardonnay in California”, Heintz Ranch is an organically farmed site with mature vines (30-plus years old) and an excellent diurnal range, ensuring fruit with rich flavours and balanced acidities. Sussman believes the balance of the two parcels delivers the most striking result.

The fruit was hand-harvested in early September from both sites, whole bunch-pressed and fermented in a combination of concrete egg, stainless steel and neutral oak. Long (16 months) maturation on lees followed with no stirring, and the wine went through full malolactic conversion before being bottled without fining or filtration.

Compared with Radio-Coteau’s Anderson Valley Savoy Chardonnay, the Wingtine has a more floral and mineral-driven style (the Puligny to the Savoy Vineyard’s Meursault?).

“The 2021 Chardonnay Wingtine is brilliant and finely cut from the outset. Hints of apricot, orange peel, mint and sweet spice lend an exotic flair to this delicate yet deeply flavored, perfumed Chardonnay. The Wingtine is a blend of Heintz and SeaBed done partly in cement, with no new wood.”
92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Radio-Coteau Sonoma Coast Wingtine Chardonnay 2021
Added
Radio-Coteau Anderson Valley Savoy Chardonnay 2020
Added

Radio-Coteau Anderson Valley Savoy Chardonnay 2020

The Savoy Vineyard in the Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, has established a firm reputation for producing some of the north coast’s most exceptional cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 18-hectare, southwest-facing site lies 120 kilometres northwest of the Radio-Coteau estate. Sussman has a per-acre contract and pays a premium for his fruit, so he retains control over how those acres are managed viticulturally. Low yields, green harvesting and organic farming are a few of his requirements.

Like the rest of the Anderson Valley, Savoy enjoys a pronounced diurnal range—night-time drops in temperature can be as much as 25 degrees Celsius—which brings the signature tension of Anderson Valley alongside flavour ripeness in both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. While a who’s who of the Sonoma wine scene sources Pinot Noir from this vineyard, just over two hectares are planted to Chardonnay, going only to FEL Wines and Radio-Coteau.

Sussman works with two Chardonnay clones within the Savoy site: the Wente clone vines (50%) have small clusters and berries and a mineral profile, while the Prosser clone (50%) lends a more tropical profile to the blend. The fruit was picked in late August and was whole bunch-pressed into barrel for wild fermentation. It underwent full malolactic conversion and enjoyed a 17-month maturation on lees with no stirring in lightly toasted, tightly-grained old French oak. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

Compared to the Wingtine, the style is more in the classic Californian vein: richer, with a creamier feel, yet supported by mouth-watering acidity.

“The 2020 Chardonnay Savoy is bright, floral and understated. Lemon peel, white pepper, mint and crushed rocks come into focus. There's good energy. Even so, this is an especially linear Chardonnay from Savoy, with a bit less depth than is customary. Even so, all the elements are well balanced, not an easy feat in 2020.”
91 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Radio-Coteau Anderson Valley Savoy Chardonnay 2020
Added

Other Recent Releases

  • Holiday Reading and Christmas Gifting
    Holiday Reading and Christmas Gifting
    In the run-up to the gifting season, we’re delighted to offer special pricing on select...
    In the run-up to the gifting season, we’re delighted to offer special pricing on selected books from the IFW library. Here at International Fine Wi...

    Read more

  • Domaine aux Moines
    Domaine aux Moines
    Domaine aux Moines, a now 12-hectare estate set in the heart of one of the Loire’s most...
    Domaine aux Moines, a now 12-hectare estate set in the heart of one of the Loire’s most enigmatic vineyards, La Roche-aux-Moines, was founded in 19...

    Read more

  • Bannockburn
    Bannockburn
    Where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s not just the quality of Bannockburn’s Chardon...
    Where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s not just the quality of Bannockburn’s Chardonnay and Pinot that has transformed over the years. “When you...

    Read more

  • Spinifex
    Spinifex
    Spinifex’s portfolio is stacked with quality, yet two wines play a particularly signifi...
    Spinifex’s portfolio is stacked with quality, yet two wines play a particularly significant role in Pete and Magali’s story. Indigene has been a co...

    Read more

  • Bernard Defaix: The Director’s Cut
    Bernard Defaix: The Director’s Cut
    Today, we offer a new tranche of Defaix’s cracking 2022 wines, plus the first arrivals ...
    Today, we offer a new tranche of Defaix’s cracking 2022 wines, plus the first arrivals from 2023. The latest ‘22s include the Côte de Léchet Réserv...

    Read more

  • Pyramid Valley
    Pyramid Valley
    A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of meeting with Pyramid Valley winemaker, Huw Kinc...
    A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of meeting with Pyramid Valley winemaker, Huw Kinch. Not only is Kinch a deeply knowledgeable guy―as the Frenc...

    Read more

  • Thomas Wines
    Thomas Wines
    With spring comes Semillon. The 2024 season went by in a flash, and the wines are rarin...
    With spring comes Semillon. The 2024 season went by in a flash, and the wines are raring to go. Andrew Thomas can't recall an earlier harvest in hi...

    Read more

  • Robert Weil
    Robert Weil
    Like Italy and France, Germany has more than its fair share of revered historic hillsid...
    Like Italy and France, Germany has more than its fair share of revered historic hillside vineyards. Few of these can match the history and majesty ...

    Read more

  • Quealy: New Release Pinots
    Quealy: New Release Pinots
    “2023 will be remembered as one of those great vintages,” says Tom McCarthy. “It was an...
    “2023 will be remembered as one of those great vintages,” says Tom McCarthy. “It was an exceptional year with perfect ripening conditions—there jus...

    Read more

View All Offers

More Content

More on The Eyrie More on Mayacamas More on Radio-Coteau
Welcome