2013 St. Innocent Chardonnay Willamette Valley Freedom Hill Vineyard Dijon Clone 750 ml

The New York Times, Freedom Hill, and Wine Spectator’s #1

On March 12th, 2012, The New York Times put the Napa and Sonoma valleys on notice. A Times story headlined “Oregon Chardonnay Speaks Up” accurately described the challenges Oregon winegrowers initially faced in the 1980s and 1990s. While many considered the Willamette Valley’s Pinot Noirs to be America’s best response to red Burgundy, the valley’s Chardonnays were a far cry from Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet.

But in the late 1990s, spearheaded by a few of the most brilliant Oregonian estates — Domaine Drouhin and Domaine Serene — the tide shifted. Growers overhauled their vineyards, tightening spacing and stressing the vines as they do on the Côte de Beaune. In the cellar, winemakers backed off the percentage of new wood, following a Chablisien script. Particularly in cool vintages in which Pinot Noir struggles, Chardonnay truly shines — never more so than in 2013.

To those of you who have yet to jump on the Oregon Chardonnay bandwagon, this an opportunity to fully appreciate what the Times was so excited about. Nearly every top estate in Willamette Valley produced stunning 2013 Chardonnays — wines not only of great richness, but also of restraint and elegance, far more akin to the orchard-pit minerality of the Côte de Beaune than the lemon custard of the Sonoma Coast. Made in tiny quantities, many of these Oregon Chardonnays are suddenly selling like hotcakes at over $40/bottle, particularly in the local market. Still, a few big names are determined to gain market share by keeping prices “sane,” including Mark Vlossak at St. Innocent.

The 2013 St. Innocent Chardonnay, drawn entirely from the world-class planting at Freedom Hill, may sport a modest price tag. But there’s nothing modest about the wine in the bottle. Wine Spectator rated 407 under-$30 Chardonnays from the 2013 vintage. Just two earned 92 points. This is one.

Freedom Hill Vineyard is located in the foothills of the coast range 10 miles southwest of Salem, Oregon. The southeast-facing Chardonnay blocks are 510 feet in elevation and benefit from heat rising off the valley floor. Hills to the east protect the vines from strong coastal winds. The vines were planted in 1999 and 2006 with Dijon clones 76 and 548 on well-drained, silty clay loam. Clones 76 and 548 are well known for their Burgundian complexity — on full display in one of the more Meursault-like American Chardonnays we’ve tasted in several years.

Winemaker Mark Vlossak’s 2013 St. Innocent Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard is brilliant pale-golden in color. Piercing, complex aromas of baked apple, pear, orchard fruits, and ripe citrus. Rich, weighty, and dense on the attack, yet perfectly composed. Tightly wound and mineral, with a luscious core of stone fruits, apricot, and white peach, finishing with terrific intensity and mineral lift. Drink now for its youthful vibrancy, or do as we’re doing and lay this one down until the early 2020s.

92 points from Wine Spectator. Ditto from Wine Enthusiast. $22/bottle. 1,200 bottles are up for grabs. NOT to be missed!