’La Source’ Eola-Amity Hills - Chardonnay (21)

Chardonnay | onderste deel van Seven Springs vineyard | vulkanische bodem | whole bunch press | gisting in oude 500l vaten | 12 maanden rijping in oude 500l vaten | daarna 6 maanden rijping in rvs | veel potentie | citrus | stenig | iets kruidig | spanning | rondeur | fijne zuren | pit | wat reductie | iets zouts in zijn jeugd | lengte

Evening Land

Evening land is nog een project van Rajat Parr en Sashi Moorman. De wijngaard, Seven Springs Vineyard, is in 1984 gestart door de pioneer in Oregon Al MacDonald. Er staat Chardonnay, Pinot Noir en Gamay aangeplant en de wijngaarden worden vanaf 2007 biodynamisch bewerkt. Vanaf 2014 zijn Rajat en Sashi volledig in charge over Evening Land. De etiketten zijn vernieuwd en de weg naar nog meer kwaliteit is verder ingeslagen. Het groeiseizoen hier is kort, dus volledig anders dan wijnmaken in de Santa Rita Hills. De AVA Eola-Amity Hills heeft vulkanische, stenige bodems die rijk zijn aan ijzer; decomposed basalt. De meeste wijngaarden zijn oostelijk georiënteerd. De ‘Van Duzer Corridor’ is erg belangrijk voor de temperatuur, omdat koele wind vanuit de Stille oceaan de warme zonnige middagen afkoelt. Door de bodem krijg je hoge stokken met grote trossen en door de warmte dikke schillen. Voor de Pinot Noir wordt het grootste deel ontsteelt. De rode wijnen worden gemaakt als een infusie, dus geen pigeage of remontage. Zoals bij Dani Landi in Gredos, dit om niet te veel tannines en bitters uit de dikke schillen te extraheren. 

Review

The 2021 Chardonnay La Source offers a stunning bouquet of lemon oils and crushed green apples, complicated by hints of dusty sage. This washes across the palate, tantalizing acidity up front, with ripe white pit fruits and hints of sour melon, taking on further depths through a saline mineral core. Savory and tension-filled, the 2021 finishes long and staining yet remarkably fresh with a lingering salty flourish. Stunning. 94/100 Eric Guido

It’s a pleasure to talk and taste with Sashi Moorman of Evening Land Vineyards. His willingness to share his worldly experience and insights always provides an education. On this visit, we spoke primarily of the 2022 vintage. While they were very happy with their 2021s, it was a low-quantity year, and most of the wines were sold out. We started with Chardonnay, sampling 2021 Summum and the old vine La Source. Both showed the richness of fruit and the vintage’s energy, followed by the 2022 Seven Springs Chardonnay, which was more mineral with high-toned acidity. Then it was on to the 2022 reds, starting with a fabulous Gamay Noir. Moorman shared, “I don’t understand why there isn’t more Gamay grown in Oregon.” I have to agree, having been surprised by how little I could taste on this trip. As for the Pinots, they were pure class, a perfect representation of this finessed and perfumed vintage. Moorman added, “If there were one thing about 2022 that maybe we could have done better, it would have been to cut back more on the yields to add more concentration.” It’s a fascinating insight, yet I can’t imagine changing anything about these wines, especially in contrast to the 2021 vintage, as these two years provide a Yin and Yang of the quality spectrum. They are equally enjoyable for entirely different reasons. Moorman later explained, “The 2022s were made with much lower amounts of sulfur due to the low pH of the vintage, giving the wines a more lifted and energetic feel.” This put the entire experience into perspective: the 2022s from Evening Land are full of energy, based on purity and a total pleasure for all of the senses.