Martin Woods Chardonnay Koosah 2023 (750ml) *
Product price
$66.99
Description
High up in the Eola-Amity Hills sits Koosah Vineyard, a name drawn from the Kalapuya people meaning "beautiful ceiling of the sky," and it is among the loftiest Chardonnay plantings in the valley. These are young vines, but winemaker Evan Martin is convinced of their potential, and this 2023 from Martin Woods (part of the Rare Species Collection) makes his case. Elevation and cool air push the wine toward freshness and tension rather than weight. It was raised in a hybrid barrel built with Oregon oak staves and French heads, a detail that speaks to the producer's Oregon-first instincts.
The aromatics run bright and layered: citrus oils and pith, apple, white peach, chamomile, and fresh flowers, with a savory alpine-herb note and even a faint whiff of something pilsner-like. On the palate it feels silken and vertical, pure pit fruit building over a dense, chalky texture while a salty mineral streak keeps everything taut. Stimulating acidity carries it long, finishing on crunchy saline and a tug of sour lime. Medium-bodied and precise, it is subtle now but clearly gathering depth, and it should reward some patience.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Country | USA |
| Region | Oregon |
| Subregion | Eola-Amity Hills |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Producer | Martin Woods Mozaik |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
The 2023 Chardonnay Koosah Vineyard Rare Species Collection is sharply focused, mixing ginger and nectarine with chamomile and fresh mint. Silken and elegant in feel, it shows distinct verticality imparted by salty minerals as pure pit fruit concentration builds over dense textures, all cut through by stimulating acidity. A sour lime tinge lingers along with crunchy saline tones through the dramatically long finish. The Rare Species Collection was refined in a hybrid new barrel with Oregon oak staves and French heads. (Vinous)
A young site that is already showing so much promise, the young vines at Koosah Vineyard, sitting at the highest elevation in the Valley—a name from the Kalapuya Native American people meaning 'beautiful ceiling of the sky' deliver freshness and intensity vintage after vintage—aromas of flowers, yellow fruits and savoury alpine herbs and spices. Winemaker Evan Martin is bullish on Koosah as a Chardonnay site. The palate is a glorious melange of lemon curd, chalky minerality, green mangoes, and white pepper. (Decanter, May 2025)
From the highest-elevation Chardonnay site in Eola-Amity Hills, the 2023 Chardonnay Koosah Vineyard is bright and citrusy, with notes of citrus pith and oils, apple, white peach, fresh flowers, and a subtle pilsner-like savoriness. Medium-bodied and focused, it finishes clean and silky. Compared to the 2022, it’s more floating and subtle in texture but clearly gaining depth. Drink 2025-2035. (Jeb Dunnuck, August 2025)