Oregon wine: 2021 Scenic Valley Farms Estate Hop Chardonnay

Super-unique and unusual, this wine is primarily Chardonnay with a quick, Citra hops soak. Honestly, the best way to describe this wine is that it’s like walking through a wildflower field on a hot summer day. Winemaker Gabriel Jagle was inspired by Brian, the farm manager, to create a wine that reflected the complete terroir of the place. Not just the vineyard and winery– but the entire farm. Both the grapes and hops are estate-grown… and get this… the barrels too!

A few years ago, a large storm took down a couple large oak trees on the property. Scenic Valley Farms saw an opportunity; create Oregon oak barrels from the fallen trees. Gabriel have to do some serious convincing of a local cooper, who finally agreed to the task of giving the trees new life in the form of barrels.

I’ve definitely never tasted a hopped Chardonnay before. And, as far as I know, I’ve never had a wine that was barreled in oak that once stood magestically on the same vineyard. If you truly want a sense of place–all aspects of it– try this wine! As Gabriel writes in the wine’s tech sheet, you’ll find “a wine that is polished and clean while still being kooky and weird.” If you can’t already tell, I totally agree.