Cristom Chardonnay Willamette Valley 2024 750ml

The 2024 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, a new wine from Cristom, is made primarily from estate fruit, plus 20% purchased fruit, and comes from 10 different vineyards. Matured for nine months in 5% new French oak, it has pure aromas of lemon peel, beeswax, bread dough, roasted almonds and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is mouth-coating with honeyed white fruit flavors. It’s balanced by bright acidity and has a long, flavorful finish. 4,895 cases were made.

• Country: United States
• Region: Oregon
• Appellation: Willamette Valley
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White
• Alcohol by Vol: 13.0%

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.