What a terrific experience it was drinking The Eyrie Vineyards 2007 Chardonnay Reserve Dundee Hills (13.5%), a wine with a history unlike any other chardonnay from Oregon, as described on the bottle's back label:

This cuvee draws together eight select barrels of Chardonnay from our founding vines, first rooted in 1965 - the Willamette Valley's original planting. As their vigor moderates, these mature vines provide fruit of extraordinary quality. The result is a statement of Chardonnay's most elusive virtue: to manifest new facets of place and vintage each time it is revisited.

In the glass, the '07 reserve was a beautiful, clear golden yellow color, delivering initial notes of grapefruit and lemon zest, then hints of lees and toasted nuts, followed by slate and minerality. This Oregon chardonnay offered a delicious, enticing mouthfeel, with bright acidity and a long, intriguing finish. I became more and more enraptured with this wine with each swirl, sniff and sip from my glass.

I was introduced to The Eyrie 2007 Chardonnay Reserve by Michael Alberty of Storyteller Wines, whose newsletter feature does a terrific job describing the history behind this special wine and the reception it has received since its release. Based on Michael's recommendation, I picked up four bottles from Storyteller, with my only regret not buying all of what he had.

Even still, I am fortunate to have several bottles remaining to enjoy over the next five, ten or twenty years. By all indications, David and Jason Lett's chardonnays not only serve as time capsules of Oregon wine history, but also clearly stand the test of time. This was evident at last summer's retrospective covering 37 consecutive vintages of Eyrie wines.

Having tasted The Eyrie '08 chardonnay reserve, which Jason poured at a recent Willamette Valley Winery Association event, I am eager to revisit these mature vines with each subsequent vintage that is released in the years ahead.

Just as the label suggests...

Related Links
The Eyrie Vineyards Web Site