Bracken Vineyard Chardonnay
Zoran Milin
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust
Bracken Vineyard Chardonnay
The cooling Van Duzer breeze on our faces. Volcanic soils dusting our boots. Standing next to our friend, Shelby Perkins, we saw a view of the Willamette Valley that stretched to the horizon. We needed to make wine from here, from Bracken Vineyard, amidst the rolling hills of Eola-Amity.
Willamette Valley
VINEYARD
Geoffrey met Shelby Perkins while they were both pursuing the Master of Wine program. 2016 was the same year that Shelby first planted vines on her organic vineyard. Shelby’s commitment to soil vitality has deepened with each vintage, attracting some of the Willamette Valley’s top wineries to get in line for Bracken Vineyard fruit. Shelby’s meticulous farming, the vineyard’s complex soils and clonal diversity, and Eola-Amity’s cool micro-climate, come together to in a remarkable site to make wine from.
SUB-REGION
The Eola–Amity Hills AVA is one of the most distinctive winegrowing regions in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Van Duzer Corridor winds sweep in cool ocean air every afternoon, slowing ripening and locking in racy acidity while the volcanic soils bring a distinctive minerality.
Soil
Here, the soils are predominantly Nekia, Ritner, Witzel and Jory — all of volcanic origin but with varying depths. What that looks like is a soil spectrum of quickly draining, thin soils like Nekia which tend to produce more citrus-driven Chardonnays, all the way to iron-rich, water-retaining soils like Jory that produce fruit-driven Chards. Having a broad mix of soil types allows for an elegant Chardonnay that has both precision and generosity.
Elevation
With these western benchland elevations, the vineyard receives good sunlight in the afternoon and evening, along with exposure to Van Duzer Corridor effects. All of this contributes to elongated ripening periods, and reduced heat stress.
Our Note
A racy, citrusy Chardonnay that shows tension and energy, marked by a saline minerality, bright lemon fruit, peach yogurt, and delicate spices.
vintage
2024
grape varieties
Chardonnay
Winemaking
Made with a delicate touch, the grapes were gently whole bunch pressed then put to two neutral barrels for an extended wild fermentation and further aging for 11 months, in an effort to transparently express the site.
PRODUCTION
44 cases
Alcohol
12.1%
RS
1.8 g/L
pH
3.02
TA
7.4g/L