past vintages of Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
2021 Eola-Amity Chardonnay
92 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$48
label-Clare’s honeybee
The longer I work with Willamette valley chardonnay the more I am impressed with what comes from the Eola-Amity hills- warm days, cool nights and newer plantings with clones suited to the conditions consistently produce delicious wines of unctuousness and yet still crisp. Some new oak is used but not too much – balance is the key – and hopefully what is balanced for me works for you too!
tasting notes – Brilliant and lifted – you cannot help but notice the energy effusing from the glass. The nuanced aromatics are just a sneak peek of what is to come with the first sip. Lemon curd and white peach lead your palate on a journey through honeysuckle vines and apricot orchards. Rounded, yet vibrant, this wine suits all occasions from harvest parties to a seafood boil.
scores -
96 pts — Paul Gregutt
92 pts — Wine Enthusiast
96 pts — International Wine Report Editor’s Choice
17 pts — Jancis Robinson (20 pt system)
92 pts — Vinous
92 pts — Wine & Spirits
2019 Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
91 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$48 (sold out)
label- honey comb dotted with golden pollen
The Eola Amity hills are proving to be a great place to be a chardonnay vine. We have been working with Chardonnay from the AVA since 2011 and the warm days and cool evening breezes make wines with ripe fruit and crisp acidity an easy win. I hope you agree with me. The label is also a winner – Clare loves her honey(bees)!
Delicate yet energetic and precise. Leading off with subtle notes of orange blossom, lemongrass and grapefruit peel on the nose. An initial sense of honeycomb and apricot jam spread over airy sourdough is buoyed by a zip of lemon zest and sliced crisp apple, enlivening the palate. Each sip is invigorating and satisfying with a hint of salinity, like a frosty pineapple whip on the beach.
scores-
94 pts — Owen Bargreen
93 pts — Winespeed
94 pts — James Suckling
past vintages (sold out)
2018 Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
90 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$48 (sold out)
label – Clare’s honeybees collecting pollen
The goal of our AVA designated chardonnays is to show case what each is about, and I believe both our AVA Chardonnays do that. The Eola Amity is focused on acidity and minerality, of course layered on top of fruit, because I like to drink wines that have fruit in them.
tasting notes-
Floral and savory with stunning aromatics of lilac, daisy, orange peel and lemon oil, this mineral driven chardonnay is focused, vivid and energetic. Lean with a steady endurance, similar to that of a long-distance runner, the glass fills with comforting notes of crisp crushed yellow apple, sun-dried quince and brown sugar spice while being perfectly lifted by a bright acidity and thirst-quenching finish. One that keeps you longing for more.
scores -
9 pts — Vinography
91 pts — James Suckling
95 pts — Purely Domestic Wine Report
past vintages (sold out)
2017 Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay
85 cases produced
unfined and unfiltered
$75 (sold out)
label - clare’s honey bees
This companion to the Yamhill Carlton – slightly more fruit forward and generous, same winemaking but clearly very different fruit sources make distinctly different wine. We hope you enjoy them both for their individuality and reflection of time and place. This wine has a nice sweetness on the palate (although completely dry) and a finish that lingers and lingers. We look forward to enjoying this wine this fall, and watching it develop in the coming years. We just had a 2014 BTF chardonnay at a wine dinner (thank you Q!) and it was a standout for the evening.
tasting notes -
This wine smells of sweet grass and hay that lead into a rich palate, there is a rounded fruit component to this wine, not from sugar but from more savory flavors. Flavors of hay, sea salt give way to a warm apricot roundness. The finish is incredibly full with a softer acidity than the Yamhill Carlton.
scores —
93 pts — Washington Wine Blog
93 pts — Purely Domestic Wine Report