2019 Chardonnay Platt Vineyard

Ehren Jordan and his team turned out another set of brilliant wines in 2019 that are more than worthy follow-ups to the sensational 2018s. Jordan describes the year as warmer than 2018, with slightly earlier harvest dates and lower crops. That said, it’s pretty hard to generalize given how many sites Jordan sources from. For example, one of the variables in the 2019s is the use of whole clusters. In general, Jordan used about 15% whole clusters for the California Pinots, lower than the more typical 25% or so because of the warmer weather. A notable exception is the Mindego Ridge Pinot, which saw about 40% stems. In Oregon, a cooler year with some beneficial rain around harvest led to the decision to use about 40% stems across the board. Readers will find many highlights in this range, and not just the usual suspects. The 2019 Chardonnays are especially brilliant. As I have done over the last few years, I also include notes on the Failla wines from Oregon. I imagine Gamay Noir might be off most readers’ radar screens, but those wines are absolutely delicious.