Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2021 (750ml) *

Willamette Valley Chardonnay has been gaining ground, and this bottling from Sokol Blosser makes the case plainly. Grown in the Dundee Hills, one of Oregon's cooler subregions, the 2021 draws on fruit from several sites to build a Chardonnay that leans toward the classic end of the style, restrained and balanced rather than overtly oaky or tropical.

The nose opens with something earthy and evocative, wet stone and moss after rain, bay leaf, and a bitter edge of grapefruit pith. On the palate it walks a line between freshness and richness, medium bodied but with real depth. Look for lemon cream, beeswax, and pollen, with a note of bruised apple lending complexity. Elegant and concentrated, it rewards attention.