I was very impressed with the wines Grant Philips is making. He is a young spirited wine-maker, that has taken Oregon fruit, and messed it with Burgundian wine-making techniques. We were very impressed with this 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that we sold several cases off, but the sleeper in his lineup was his 2018 Finnegan Hill Chardonnay. Grant makes his Chardonnay much like the OO wines Chardonnay where the juice actually turns brown via oxidation. The process actually creates a Chardonnay with more age ability that is less prone to premature oxidation.

The Finnigan Hill vineyard is his celeste and latest ripening site and is located in the newly formed Laurelwood AVA nestled within the Chehalem Mountain AVA. The vines here were planted a decade ago and at about 750 feet in elevation. The vineyard is comprised of basalt with some windblown silt. Grant doesn’t own the vineyard, but the vines are farmed to his specifications and tended to organically. The result here is quite exceptional and outside the OO wines Chardonnay some of the best we have had from Oregon.

Aromas of white flowers, minerals, stone fruits, citrus skin, and thyme soar from the glass. The palate is focused with excellent underlying material.  There are loads of citrus, stone fruits, saline, liquid minerals, and tons of dry extract that cascade onto the persistent finish. The production here is only 200 cases and mostly one- and two-year-old barrels are used. This is a must-try for the classic new world Chardonnay fan as well as white Burgundy lovers!