Koosah, Eola Amity Hills, Chardonnay, 2023
The Koosah vineyard crowns the windswept crest of the Eola Amity Hills. This awe-inspiring, volcanic terrain is planted with five Chardonnay clones, which are co-fermented and aged in 350L and 500L barrels for 12 months and finished for 3 months in stainless steel tank. Gentle reductive notes initially, quite nutty and salty, mixed with fragrant, zesty fruit. The palate is electric. Superb clarity of expression, with less lees character and more stones and citrus. Decadent peach, Mirabelle and crystalline fruit. There’s a real sense of harmony here balancing minerals and fruit with a long, reverberating finish. So much energy and tension. Just 250 cases produced.
critic reviews
The 2023 Chardonnay Koosah Vineyard comes from vines planted in 2016 in volcanic soils at 720 to 1,080 feet in elevation. It was barrel-fermented and matured in 65% new, 350- and 500-liter French oak for 12 months, plus an additional three months in stainless steel. It has alluring aromas of peach, nectarine, panna cotta, holiday spice and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and perfumed with expansive flavors. It’s balanced by fireworks of fresh acidity and has a very long finish. 250 cases were made.
The 2023 Chardonnay Koosah Vineyard wafts up with a beguiling bouquet, as dusty dried flowers and cracked slate give way to lemon oil, nectarine and a lovely air of confectionery spice. Silken in feel, it soothes the palate with tantalizing acidity and ripe citrus-laced fruit, coming across as juicy yet deep and complex. The senses are left saturated in salty concentration as this finishes tightly wound in its youthful state. Full of potential.