Nicolas Jay Chardonnay Spirit Hill Vineyard 2023
WINERY NOTES:
TASTING: “A medium-straw colored wine with a vibrant visual presence and clarity. The aromatics are immediate, and densely packed. New, and elegant French oak staves arrive first, followed by a flintiness and a struck match aroma. Then fresh rain and salinity take over, surrounded by grapefruit zest and beeswax. On second pass there’s a candied apple sense to the wine, then beams of lanolin and coconut oil that inspire you to pause for a moment to categorize it all. Meadow raised honeycomb notes and dried mango now emerge as you raise the glass for one more aromatic exploration. It’s simply irresistible on the nose at this youthful age, so exotic and intoxicating. The front-end of this wine on the pallet is sturdy, as always, with taught beams of acidity. But there’s a density to it that finds a way to properly balance out the entire mouth-feel. This 2023 vintage is showing superb viscosity in its texture, as the minerality and citrus fruits press and pull your palate at every opportunity. Our third vintage of this phenomenal single vineyard bottling is showing a uniqueness that is sure to escalate for years to come.”
VINTAGE: “The 2023 growing season was marked by exceptional growing conditions especially when compared to the previous few vintages. An ample amount of winter precipitation provided the vines with the energy they would require for the growing season. Spring was cold and wet and pushed back bud break by a week from the more traditional time of mid-April. Warm summer temperatures moved the growing season along giving health and abundance to the vines. Small rain events right before harvest time helped to push ripeness across the finish line as well and condensing the picking period. The Chardonnays shows high varietal character with delicate freshness and beautiful citrus and stone fruit.”
VINEYARD: “Planted in 1996, the vines of Spirit Hill are slowly revealing their true nature. Tucked away in the trees is an old pioneer cemetery, which has inspired the vineyard’s ghostly name. Initially dedicated to sparkling wines, the clones initially planted (76 and 95, part of the «Dijon clones» series brought to Oregon at that time) have proven to produce a chardonnay with striking depth and structure. No need to rush to harvest it, it changes gradually and therefore offers you the luxury of choosing the style of wine you want to make; early for minerality, late for more power.”