- The Climate of Pre-Global Warming Burgundy
- The Best American Chardonnays I’ve Ever Had
- No Oak Signature
- Saline, High Acid, Mineral-Driven
- Only 12.8% Alcohol
- The Burgundies of Yesteryear
- Under $40
- Compare Negociant 1er Crus at $100++
2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Havlin Vineyard”
- Oregon Roulot
- A Meursault/Puligny Cross
- All Precision, Angles and Minerals
- Nose: High End Burgundy
- Clean, Serene and Complex
- Palate: So Focused, So Elegant, So Harmonious
- Wonderful Acid Structure and Grip
- Such a Cool Climate Expression/9.5 on Delectable
2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Koosah Vineyard”
- A Puligny Clone
- Nose: A Scene in Nature
- Tree Bark, Wet Soil
- Minerals Galore
- Aromas Just Float on Top of the Glass
- Opulent Yet Incisive and Super Pure
- Iodine City - So Puligny
- Complexity Gets Exponentially Better
- Awesome Concentration and Purity
- Minerality Is Insane
- Opulence in the Mid-Palate/9.6 on Delectable
We Are Fighting for an Allocation of His Grand Cru
- Under $40
- Compare Negociant 1er Crus at $100++
2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Havlin Vineyard”
- Oregon Roulot
- A Meursault/Puligny Cross
- All Precision, Angles and Minerals
- Nose: High End Burgundy
- Clean, Serene and Complex
- Palate: So Focused, So Elegant, So Harmonious
- Wonderful Acid Structure and Grip
- Such a Cool Climate Expression/9.5 on Delectable
2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Koosah Vineyard”
- A Puligny Clone
- Nose: A Scene in Nature
- Tree Bark, Wet Soil
- Minerals Galore
- Aromas Just Float on Top of the Glass
- Opulent Yet Incisive and Super Pure
- Iodine City - So Puligny
- Complexity Gets Exponentially Better
- Awesome Concentration and Purity
- Minerality Is Insane
- Opulence in the Mid-Palate/9.6 on Delectable
We Are Fighting for an Allocation of His Grand Cru
- Our Allocation Will Be Driven by Purchases of These Wines
- Allocations Will Be Driven By Purchases of These 1er Crus
I've long been a skeptic of American chardonnay. Not because I don't believe that we have the terroir to make great chardonnay (we do) but because our winemakers can't generally resist the temptation to oak the living heck out of the wines. Oh sure, there are some domestic natural wine producers that don't do this but their wines tasted like... well ok natural wines. Even the high effort California Chardonnays I've tried are still just merely good.
But, fortunately, the world is changing. And it's happening in Oregon.
For those of you who failed geography in elementary school, Oregon is at the top of the continental US, with cooler climates. This results is less sugars, less over the top fruit and less alcohol. So if you want Burgundian chardonnay, this is the logical place to start.
The first hint that Oregon was an important Chardonnay destination was Josh Raynold’s recent Oregon Chardonnay report that had more 95 point scores than I’ve ever seen. My second hint came via Instagram and seeing many clients whose palates I respect drinking tons of Oregon Chardonnay. These are the same people who are drinking high acid mineral-driven dry German Riesling. So it was on my radar but my one Oregon producer only made a knockback type of Chardonnay which I liked but wasn’t for the list.
Evan Martin Rising
I arranged to get my set of samples from Evan Martin and we spoke on the phone and he was super excited about his new single vineyard Chardonnays.
He was raving about the 19 vintage in Oregon and how cool it was and it was the perfect Chardonnay vintage. My man was correct. Holy smokes. These are the best American Chardonnays I’ve ever had and it’s like he made them for Fass Selections’ clients. The wines are as close to elite white Burgundy I’ve ever had. They are saline, high acid, mineral-driven and textured. They have incredible structure and acidify. They are incisive and energetic and show no oak signature. Bottom line they are thrill a minute drinking and the value is preposterous. I was blown away like I haven’t been blown away before for American wines. I mean this takes the stereotypical American Chardonnay of oak, malo and all that creamy richness and just annihilates it. Don’t miss these.
A Brief Note on Climate
Sadly, in all but the coolest of vintages, you cannot make wines like this in Burgundy today. These wines are 12.8% and 13.3% alcohol. They are the Burgundies of yesteryear. A yesteryear that is all but forgotten.
The Wines
First up is the 2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Havlin Vineyard” for $36.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is a Meursault/Puligny cross. This sees 21 months elevage as Evan was going to bottle last November but waited till July 2021 and the wines got so much more expressive so now he will only do 21 month elevage on his single vineyard Chardonnays.
What a nose. Stunning iodine. Incredible minerality. Super Burgundian. Blind I bet both my cats it’s Burgundy. High end Burgundy. Some fall heirloom apples, some spice. So clean, serene and complex. Roulot comes to mind. But day 2 it gets better! Big lime zest nose. Huge minerals. Wow. Iodine, lemon drops and Meyer lemon. Like a scene in nature. Loads of wet earth.
Palate is incredible. Wow. So focused, so elegant, so harmonious. So refined. My god this is refined and feather-like. A stunning wine with textural appeal that the best have. This is brilliant. Easy 9.5 and it’s Martin Woods so it will evolve. Wonderful acid structure and grip. So so pure. This is like an Oregon Roulot. There is no unnecessary fat. All precision, angles and minerals. This is so focused. Like all the flavors are on some super thin silk string. Yet they are all there. Unreal acids. This acid wakes you up. Such a long finish. This is elite winemaking. As this airs it it gets sappier and silkier. So so good.
On day 2, wow what acid and texture. Insane acid. Such a cool climate expression. Stunning. Focused and linear with out of hand energy and a salty finish. Brilliant. Drink now through 2033 or so. Gave this a 9.5 on Delectable.
Next up is the 2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Koosah Vineyard” for $36.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. If the Havlin was a Meursault/Puligny cross then this is a Puligny clone. This is actually 13.3% alcohol while Havlin is 12.8%.
Nose is so clean and pure. Smells like a scene in nature. Tree bark, wet soil and minerals galore. Another Burgundy ringer. Puligny for sure. Haunting complexity. Aromas just float on top of the glass. Wow. Rainwater. A pond. Moss. This nose is everything. Mint, fresh herbs. Nope I get barely any fruit which is awesome. This is a true vin de terroir. Wow. This is iodine city. This is so so Puligny. The iodine is the dead giveaway. What a stunning wine. As it aerates the complexity gets exponentially better. Nose is iodine city. This is so elite. On day 2, the nose is a bit fatter . But still lean and mean. Such depth. Such nuance and a scene in nature in effect.
He was raving about the 19 vintage in Oregon and how cool it was and it was the perfect Chardonnay vintage. My man was correct. Holy smokes. These are the best American Chardonnays I’ve ever had and it’s like he made them for Fass Selections’ clients. The wines are as close to elite white Burgundy I’ve ever had. They are saline, high acid, mineral-driven and textured. They have incredible structure and acidify. They are incisive and energetic and show no oak signature. Bottom line they are thrill a minute drinking and the value is preposterous. I was blown away like I haven’t been blown away before for American wines. I mean this takes the stereotypical American Chardonnay of oak, malo and all that creamy richness and just annihilates it. Don’t miss these.
A Brief Note on Climate
Sadly, in all but the coolest of vintages, you cannot make wines like this in Burgundy today. These wines are 12.8% and 13.3% alcohol. They are the Burgundies of yesteryear. A yesteryear that is all but forgotten.
The Wines
First up is the 2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Havlin Vineyard” for $36.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is a Meursault/Puligny cross. This sees 21 months elevage as Evan was going to bottle last November but waited till July 2021 and the wines got so much more expressive so now he will only do 21 month elevage on his single vineyard Chardonnays.
What a nose. Stunning iodine. Incredible minerality. Super Burgundian. Blind I bet both my cats it’s Burgundy. High end Burgundy. Some fall heirloom apples, some spice. So clean, serene and complex. Roulot comes to mind. But day 2 it gets better! Big lime zest nose. Huge minerals. Wow. Iodine, lemon drops and Meyer lemon. Like a scene in nature. Loads of wet earth.
Palate is incredible. Wow. So focused, so elegant, so harmonious. So refined. My god this is refined and feather-like. A stunning wine with textural appeal that the best have. This is brilliant. Easy 9.5 and it’s Martin Woods so it will evolve. Wonderful acid structure and grip. So so pure. This is like an Oregon Roulot. There is no unnecessary fat. All precision, angles and minerals. This is so focused. Like all the flavors are on some super thin silk string. Yet they are all there. Unreal acids. This acid wakes you up. Such a long finish. This is elite winemaking. As this airs it it gets sappier and silkier. So so good.
On day 2, wow what acid and texture. Insane acid. Such a cool climate expression. Stunning. Focused and linear with out of hand energy and a salty finish. Brilliant. Drink now through 2033 or so. Gave this a 9.5 on Delectable.
Next up is the 2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay “Koosah Vineyard” for $36.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. If the Havlin was a Meursault/Puligny cross then this is a Puligny clone. This is actually 13.3% alcohol while Havlin is 12.8%.
Nose is so clean and pure. Smells like a scene in nature. Tree bark, wet soil and minerals galore. Another Burgundy ringer. Puligny for sure. Haunting complexity. Aromas just float on top of the glass. Wow. Rainwater. A pond. Moss. This nose is everything. Mint, fresh herbs. Nope I get barely any fruit which is awesome. This is a true vin de terroir. Wow. This is iodine city. This is so so Puligny. The iodine is the dead giveaway. What a stunning wine. As it aerates the complexity gets exponentially better. Nose is iodine city. This is so elite. On day 2, the nose is a bit fatter . But still lean and mean. Such depth. Such nuance and a scene in nature in effect.
Palate is opulent yet incisive and super pure. Awesome concentration and purity. So complex and so compact. The minerality on this wine is insane. So clean on the finish. Just effortless and elite Chardonnay. What a finish! Palate has opulence in the mid-palate and attack and then razors on the finish. So juicy and compact. So well put together and long. Amazing balance and purity. Unreal sap and energy. Structure to burn. So so pure. A brilliant wine. Drink now through 2033. Gave this a 9.6 on Delectable.
2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay "Havlin Vineyard" - $38.99 ($147.96 4-pack)
2019 Martin Woods Chardonnay "Koosha Vineyard" - - $38.99 ($147.96 4-pack)
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