92pts James Suckling

Aromas of citrus and flowers, with a concentrated palate and bright acidity. Light- to medium-bodied with notes of sliced lemons and honeysuckle. Ends with a tangy and refreshing finish. This is an enjoyable and interesting wine that sees approximately 25% new oak.

90pts Jeb Dunnuck

Pouring a ripe yellow hue, the ripe and juicy 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is forward with aromas of honeysuckle, ripe pear, and lemon custard. Full-bodied and generous, with a creamy texture and notes of vanilla oak spices lasting on the finish, it’s a seductive style to drink over the next few years.

Winemaker Notes

This wine offers notes of mandarin orange, citrus blossom, crystallized ginger, marmalade and hints of yeasty sourdough. Those flavors carry onto a balanced palate that offers wonderful purity, tension and length.

Winery Notes

WillaKenzie Estate is located in Oregon's Willamette Valley on rolling hillsides in the Chehalem Mountains. The winery was named after the Willakenzie soil on which the vineyards are planted to convey the influence that the soil imparts on the wine's flavors and aromas. The vineyards are planted with grapes of the Pinot family, mostly new Dijon clones of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from Alsace. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are cool climate grapes, which are particularly well adapted to Oregon. As winemaker for WillaKenzie Estate, the acclaimed producer of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, Erik Kramer leads all winemaking and cellar operations. He has been working in Oregon’s Willamette Valley since 2004, where he has built a reputation for world-class wines of finesse and balance. A scientist by training, Erik worked as a hydrogeologist in the petrochemical industry before combining his passion for science and appreciation for fine wine into a career.