Vineyard: 100% chardonnay from two blocks at Koosah Vineyard, handpicked 9/29/24 and 10/1/24. Organically farmed, non-irrigated vines in Parrett, Saum and Witzel volcanic basalts. Planted in 2016, the long rows of Block 7 are Dijon clones in a steep, southeast facing block on mixed rootstocks between 800’-985’. Planted in 2019 on own-roots, Block 15 is nine mixed clones in a south facing bench featuring the rockiest soils I’ve seen in the Willamette Valley at 825’-900’. Vines are spaced 5x7.5.

Vintage:  A wet winter was followed by a mid-January freeze and a cool, wet early March. Bud break occurred mid-April, followed by a varied May that included both a heat wave and cool periods. Early June was warm, and warmer sites bloomed weeks before cooler or higher elevation, sites – a bit of rain helped temper fruit set. Yields were average. After a hot early July, temperatures cooled, and a temperate August set vines up for an exceptionally long and glorious harvest, which began on September 10 in Dundee and concluded on October 10 in South Salem. All lots were crushed and the must allowed to brown in steel before sulfur was added. Primary fermentation completed quickly with ambient yeasts in a warm cellar with full solids in primarily new, once and twice used extra tight grain French oak. As the cellar cooled, ambient malolactic fermentation progressed, completing between late 2024 and mid 2025. Very little lees stirring was employed. The wines aged one year in oak before being moved to steel tanks in August 2025 for a second winter on the lees in a cold cellar. The 2024 wines feature high natural acidity, prominent site expression with intense aromatics, depth of flavor, with texture, density and structure to age for decades.

Vinification: Block 15 from Koosah was hand-picked on 9/29/24. Crushed and pressed hard for three hours, the must then browned in steel for 18 hours before a sulfur addition; the hard press was not sulfured. After 24 hours in steel, Block 15 was transferred with solids and block and vineyard specific pied de cuve to 36% new 265L barrels, 36% once used 265L barrels & 28% third fill 400L puncheon for primary fermentation.  Hand-picked on 10/1/24, Block 7 from Koosah was crushed and pressed hard for three hours; the must browned in steel for 6 hours before a sulfur addition; the hard press was not sulfured. Ambient primary fermentation engaged with vineyard and block specific pied de cuve in steel before Block 7 was transferred with solids to 32% new 265L barrels and 68% once used 228L/265L barrels and 350L puncheon. Primary fermentation completed rapidly in a warm cellar. The barrels were sulfured following completion of ambient malolactic in a cold cellar between late 2024 and mid 2025. After twelve months aging in extra tight and tight grain French oak from Damy and Chassin, a blend of 80% Block 7 & 20% Block 15 from 74% new 265L barrels and 26% once used 265L barrels was made. The 2024 Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay aged an additional six months in steel on lees. No fining or filtration. 49mm DIAM 30.

Chemistry: 7.4 g/L TA | 3.15 pH | 13.2% | 0.2g/L RS | 0.46 g/L VA | 0.05 g/L malic | ~50ppm SO2 (free)