Soter Vineyards
North Valley Chardonnay
Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Solid Willamette Valley Chard. Not my absolute favorite but still pretty good. Might have liked it a bit more if it weren't being outclassed in comparison to the Goodfellow '14 Durant Vineyard Chardonnay I'm tasting alongside it. Pours a medium (-) intensity straw hue. Moderate concentration of aromatics of slightly underripe yellow apple, slightly underripe star fruit, wet stone, brioche and aged cheese rind leesy character, a bit of heavy cream, and a bit of reductive character that unfortunately just mutes the fruit a bit, rather than providing an accentuating contrast that helps throw the fruit into relief like the kind of reductivity I *appreciate* in many Chardonnays. On the palate, the fruit shows a bit riper with a lot more purity, alongside more wet stone minerality, aged cheese rind lees character, and a bit of creme fraiche and a touch of new French oak spice. Medium (+) acid, dry, medium (-) body with lees-influenced soft texture. Alcohol is medium (+) and in balance. Nice stuff. Probably would shine a bit more alongside some food, perhaps a creamy seafood pasta dish or something.
Solid Willamette Valley Chard. Not my absolute favorite but still pretty good. Might have liked it a bit more if it weren't being outclassed in comparison to the Goodfellow '14 Durant Vineyard Chardonnay I'm tasting alongside it. Pours a medium (-) intensity straw hue. Moderate concentration of aromatics of slightly underripe yellow apple, slightly underripe star fruit, wet stone, brioche and aged cheese rind leesy character, a bit of heavy cream, and a bit of reductive character that unfortunately just mutes the fruit a bit, rather than providing an accentuating contrast that helps throw the fruit into relief like the kind of reductivity I *appreciate* in many Chardonnays. On the palate, the fruit shows a bit riper with a lot more purity, alongside more wet stone minerality, aged cheese rind lees character, and a bit of creme fraiche and a touch of new French oak spice. Medium (+) acid, dry, medium (-) body with lees-influenced soft texture. Alcohol is medium (+) and in balance. Nice stuff. Probably would shine a bit more alongside some food, perhaps a creamy seafood pasta dish or something.
Sep 2nd, 2017Had this in a lineup with several other Willamette Chardonnays and this wine came up short. Very underwhelming. Thin, lacking flavor - which unfortunately meant the oak dominated. Granted, this was the least expensive of the bunch. But still, at $30/bottle I expected more.
Had this in a lineup with several other Willamette Chardonnays and this wine came up short. Very underwhelming. Thin, lacking flavor - which unfortunately meant the oak dominated. Granted, this was the least expensive of the bunch. But still, at $30/bottle I expected more.
Aug 30th, 2016
Disappointed with this flat, gritty, unremarkable drink. Not sure what happened in my favorite wine region here...
Disappointed with this flat, gritty, unremarkable drink. Not sure what happened in my favorite wine region here...
Aug 4th, 2015
