2018 Lagana Cellars Eritage Vineyard Chardonnay Walla Walla 750 ml

This is a true friend-of-a-friend find, the kind of tip that’s accompanied by a hushed tone, a “let’s keep this circle small” tone. But after we tried this luminous, single-vineyard Chardonnay, we knew Lagana was simply too good to keep from Wine Access members. 

They’re producing some truly exceptional Walla Walla Chardonnays, and this 2018 swaggers onto the scene featuring Chablis-like precision and acidity in perfect stride with Washington’s fruit and mineral notes. The nose rewards repeated inhales with lemon balm, acacia flowers, and fresh herbs. A swirl and sip reveals energy and depth in the form of pineapple and minerals, riding a long and memorable finish. It’s a wine that shows Washington Chardonnay can easily stands toe-to-toe with its West Coast brethren, without losing its signature style. 

Wine savvy shoppers might know about Lagana, but unless you walk into one of a few privileged Walla Walla, Vancouver, or Seattle wine shops when they’re wheeling in a few of the 119 cases produced, you’re unlikely to find this 2018. 

The 2018 vintage gave winemaker Jason Fox all the tools he needed to craft an elegant and layered Chardonnay. James Suckling noted that many Washington winemakers think this vintage “may be one of the best ever,” one that “made some stunning wines.” A warm summer awakened this wine’s ripe fruit, and cool nights during harvest season retained its freshness and acidity.

The Eritage Vineyard, north of Walla Walla, is owned and managed by Va Piano Vineyards, who have crafted numerous 95+ point estate wines in the pages of leading critics. Gentle hills provide a range of elevations (800-1,100 feet) and soils, it’s exceptionally hospitable not just for red varieties, but also for vibrant and complex Chardonnay.

Inspired by the crisp and vibrant Chablis, this wine eschews oak aging in favor of stainless steel. The result is a bright and complex Chardonnay, one that showcases fruit drawn from Walla Walla’s warmer climate without sacrificing a bit of its mineral precision and acidity.