Description
Picture this - bright sunshine in San Francisco, a pile of shellfish, and a glass of this Chardonnay that stopped us in our tracks.
This is from Archery Summit's 16-acre vineyard that surrounds their winery in the Dundee Hills. It’s their answer to the question: what happens when Oregon Chardonnay is treated with the same precision and ambition as Grand Cru white Burgundy?
Turns out, something very special.
2021 was a rollercoaster of a vintage — early heat spikes, scarce water, but a September that cooled down and rewarded patience. Low yields brought concentration; high acidity stayed intact. The fruit was whole-cluster pressed, fermented wild, and aged in 41% new oak before a long, careful rest on lees in steel. It’s a winemaking approach that aims for texture, not flash.
And the wine? Electric. Flint and citrus on the nose — think oyster shell, candied lemon, and orange blossom — with a bright, zippy core of lemon-lime acidity and a savoury mineral bite. It’s tense, mouthwatering Chardonnay with serious poise and a finish that hums like wet stone.