Winemaker Notes
Nuthouse Chardonnay has what we refer to as an International Palate that denotes a kinship with styles of Chardonnay that are well known in Burgundy. It is full malolactic and 100% barrel fermented, yet tastes more acid-driven like it spent time in stainless steel.
Food Pairing Notes
Argyle was the first US winery to commercially plant Dijon Clones that took to Oregon right away, due to similar climates of Oregon and Burgundy. Our First Nuthouse Chardonnay appeared in 1992 and is still alive and aging in the Argyle Library.
Vineyard Notes
The 2018 growing season began with a relatively mild and dry winter and moderately cool spring, leading to bud break during the second and third weeks of April. Temperatures picked up in May and continued into a beautiful mid-June bloom. The rest of the summer continued to be warm and very dry, with no precipitation for nearly 3 months. Early September remained warm and dry through the beginning of the sparkling harvest, but then cooled down with a few days of precipitation in the middle of the month. This allowed for still wine ripening (and the cellar crew!) to slow down and catch their breath before finishing out with beautiful late September and early October weather. In all, the 2018 harvest was very condensed, having started with Chardonnay at the lower elevations of Lone Star Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills on September 4th and finishing with Pinot Noir in the upper elevations of the Eola-Amity Hills at Spirit Hill Vineyard on October 2nd.
Accolades
4.5 Stars, Press Democrat: “This is a gorgeous Burgundian-styled chardonnay that’s acid-driven. It has great balance, with aromas and flavors of apple, pear, melon and mineral. The Argyle has a crisp intensity that’s irresistible. It’s striking.”
