Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Winderlea Vineyard & Winery – Chardonnay 2018
Willamette Valley, Oregon – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
This isn’t just any Willamette Chardonnay — it’s a benchmark. Crafted from a mosaic of top vineyards: Carabella (35%) in Chehalem Mountains, Hyland (33%) & Meredith Mitchell (23%) in McMinnville, and Winderlea Estate (9%) in Dundee Hills. Together, they deliver harmony and terroir depth that rivals fine Burgundy, while staying true to Oregon character.

Aromas & Flavors
Rich layers of peach, apricot, and crisp apple glide seamlessly into notes of citrus zest and a subtle kiss of toasted oak. The aromatic lift is both elegant and generous, hinting at orchard blossoms with a faint mineral streak.

Mouthfeel
Succulent and textured, yet framed with precision. Bright acidity keeps it vibrant, while a creamy mid-palate offers weight and length. Still radiant in 2018, showing both freshness and polish.

Winemaking Notes
Fermented and aged in French oak barrels with a Burgundian sensibility, highlighting texture over heaviness. A balance of fruit purity and oak finesse.

Food Pairing
Perfect with butter-poached lobster, seared scallops, roast chicken with herbs, or creamy risotto with chanterelles. Its lively acidity also makes it a stellar partner for soft cheeses.

Verdict
A standout Chardonnay from Oregon, balancing Burgundian elegance with Willamette soul. Priced above regional peers, but every sip justifies it. Truly one of the finest examples of Oregon Chardonnay in recent years. Cheers! — 3 months ago

DCH

9.2

Dusty herbs and spices. — 8 years ago

G

9.7

Celebrating the power coming back on after 7 hours! Off the grid is soooooo overrated! This is an excellent Oregon Pinot by one of the best "secret wineries". — 9 years ago

Ryan White

9.2

Not oaky and very light — 4 years ago

Michael Phillips

9.1

Late harvest nice balance of sweetnesss and acidity quit nice with foie grass — 7 years ago

Stephen Bergmeier

9.5

Had this some duck breast. Very nice with the duck and blood orange rissoto. Great balance of fruit and tannins — 8 years ago

Michael Seely

9.0

Needs a few years to stand with the 07s in their excellence — 9 years ago

with Joe

G

9.4

Excellent Oregon Pinot. Makes me want to hit their cyber Monday sale. This wine is missing from Delectable and is a Pinot Dijon 667 clone. — 6 years ago

G

9.3

This Carabella masterpiece which scored 91 from WIne Enthusiast (WE) 6 years ago is supposed to “hold up a decade or so”, per WE, and it does. From the Chehalem AVA, which is the northernmost AVA of Willamette valley, geologist turned winemaker Mike Hallock produced a masterpiece. The fruits, blackberries and boysenberries, along with the unique Oregon minerality blend together really well. Aging for nearly 10 years is great as the earlier consumption of this wine didn’t show the true character. Another great Oregon Pinot Noir! — 7 years ago

with Carabella

Devin Bostick

9.1

Dark (from thick Pinot skins), more tannin than carabella (this being anden), nice berry (can't pinpoint type, boisenberry maybe), sticky slight sweetness — 9 years ago