Chehalem 2022 INOX Chardonnay

90 points - Wine Enthusiast

NOTES FROM WINEMAKER, KATIE SANTORA
The aromatics are clean and pretty with lovely aspects of Asian pear, yellow apple, and mango, all lifted by notes of fresh-squeezed lemonade. There is juiciness and weight on the front palate, while flavors of ripe stone fruit and lemon meringue come forward as the wine evolves. It finishes with a delicate balance between sweet and tart flavor dimensions and a subtle richness in texture.

VINTAGE OVERVIEW
The 2022 growing season was full of surprises, which pushed them to explore new regions that delivered delicious, age-worthy wines with balance and vibrancy. The vintage kicked off with a cold and wet spring that turned worrisome when an unusually late-season freeze event impacted lower-elevation Chardonnay plantings throughout the region that were already experiencing bud break. Fortunately, they leveraged decades of winemaking experience and relationships throughout the Pacific Northwest to find a quality fruit source in their time of need. Grower partners helped them identify vineyard sites in the Columbia Valley with conditions akin to Willamette Valley, which resulted in balanced, elegant fruit with concentrated flavors.