93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2022 Chardonnay Estate opens with scents of seashells, citrus blossoms and beeswax, and its flinty undertones are well integrated. The light-bodied palate is very energetic! Its flavors are deeper and more honeyed than the nose leads you to believe, and its taut acidity contributes to a shimmery feel on the finish. It will benefit from 2-3+ years in bottle.

93pts James Suckling

Notes of quince and peaches with honeysuckle and hints of pie crust. Medium-bodied, compact and polished on the palate, with a textural, lightly phenolic mouthfeel and savory aftertaste. Drink or hold.

Vintage Notes

Throughout the Willamette Valley, 2021 is considered an outstanding vintage. It was generous in terms of yields, ripeness, and quality and health of the fruit. Overall, the growing season was earlier than average. Harvest started on Sept 14 and finished on October 12. There were a couple of extreme heat events early in the summer that were devastating to some crops in the Valley, but in the vineyards the timing was just right to scour the powdery mildew out of the vineyard without harming the fruit, which had not yet begun to soften. August was also very hot, but temperatures cooled significantly in September, and rain showers in September and early October allowed us to take advantage of an extended ripening period for enhanced flavor development.

Vineyard Notes

Chardonnay has been the preeminent white wine at Bethel Heights since the first vines were planted here in 1977. Today we have five different blocks of Chardonnay planted on various benches and slopes around our Estate vineyards.

Bethel Heights Vineyard and Justice Vineyard achieved Organic certification in 2021, Hope Well Vineyard in 2015. Beyond organic, all three estate vineyards are committed to continual reduction of off-farm inputs and continual reduction of energy and water consumption. We maintain a permanent green cover in the vine rows to build healthy soils, to sequester carbon, to mitigate erosion, to retain moisture, and to promote maximum biodiversity.

Organic