Oregon wine: 2018 STEDT Wines intent Chardonnay

2018 STEDT Wines intent Chardonnay

Xander Taryn Vineyard,
Chehalem Mountains,
Willamette Valley,
Oregon

14.0% alcohol

Empty bottle weight: 20.8 ounces // 590 grams

Cork closure

140 cases produced

Native yeast

So let’s start with more information on this wine’s name (intent) and super-interesting label. Below is what owner/winemaker Chris Lubberstedt has to say about both:

They say the eyes are the window to the soul. The eyes here open up fully to see the true intention of the wine. This Chardonnay was years in the making, waiting for the vineyard to come into production, and trials for identifying the barrels and cooperage to frame it. Peer into this full expression of Chardonnay with the intent of discovery and sensory exploration.

Once harvested, the Chardonnay grapes, stems and all, were foot-tread (also called pigeage) in their picking bins. Doing so provided immediate skin contact with the grape juice, as well as the introduction of additional tannins from the stems. After a light pressing, the juice and lees were allowed to rest for a day and a half before spending the next 11 months in tight-grain 500L neutral French oak puncheons. Chris then racked the wine to remove the lees and moved it to stainless steel tanks for another 9 months. Finally, the Chardonnay spent 6 more months in bottle before its release. Those three winemaking steps are represented by the three eyes on the label.

Bouquet:

Rich aromas of vanilla bean and toasted marshmallows first tickled my nose, followed by tart lemon zest and minerally wet stone.

Palate:

This Chardonnay was tart, yet weighty, with a long finish! Charred lemons first combined with lemon bars and Asian pears, then underripe pineapple and lemon curd joined the party. As the wine warmed in my glass, notes of mango and honeystick also emerged, making this a very versatile wine.