94pts Wine Advocate

The 2018 Chardonnay Reserve features soft scents of almonds, green pears, quince, white flowers and baker's yeast. The medium-bodied palate is creamy in texture with delicate yet pure flavors and a long, uplifted finish.

92pts Wine Enthusiast

Light and showing pretty flavors of freshly squeezed lime, this young wine sneaks up on you. The mix includes Knudsen and Lone Star vineyard fruit. The barrel flavors, moderated by the use of just 15% new oak, add pleasing touches of toasted hazelnut, butter and caramel corn. The finish gathers strength and richness, while holding steady to the balance of fruit, acidity and barrel.

Winemaker Notes

The 2018 growing season began with a relatively mild and dry winter and moderately cool spring, leading to bud break during the second and third weeks of April. Temperatures picked up in May and continued into a beautiful mid-June bloom. The rest of the summer continued to be warm and very dry, with no precipitation for nearly 3 months. Early September remained warm and dry through the beginning of the sparkling harvest, but then cooled down with a few days of precipitation in the middle of the month. This allowed for still wine ripening (and the cellar crew!) to slow down and catch their breath before finishing out with beautiful late September and early October weather. In all, the 2018 harvest was very condensed, having started with Chardonnay at the lower elevations of Lone Star Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills on September 4th and finishing with Pinot Noir in the upper elevations of the Eola-Amity Hills at Spirit Hill Vineyard on October 2nd.