Vineyards: 100% Willamette Valley Chardonnay from six vineyards planted between 1984-2020:

34% Witness Tree Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/7/23

21% von Oehsen Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/11/23

18% Durant Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, hand-picked 9/11/23

13% Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay, Block 7, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/18/23

9% Yamhill Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton, hand-picked 9/16/23

5% X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay, Block 5, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/15/23

Vintage: The 2023 growing season began cool and wet, with late April bringing warmth and dry conditions. Bud break occurred in early to mid-May, followed by bloom in early to mid-June. Fruit set was typical and the vines thrived over a hot and dry July and August. Cooler days and chilly nights arrived in September, with scattered showers that refreshed the vines. Harvest began leisurely with four picks between 9/6 - 9/11. The pace quickened with eight picks between 9/15 - 9/22. Yields were average, and the overall chemistry was good to great. I crushed each lot into the press and extracted more the later the pick. I browned most of the must 6-24 hours before sulfur addition. Vineyard specific pied de cuve was used to initiate fermentation in steel before transferring the must to oak with full solids. In select lots, I added sulfur after fermentation started. Ambient yeasts were highly effective as most lots were bone dry within 10-25 days. More than half of the cellar completed ambient malolactic in November or December 2023. The remainder finished malolactic between April and July 2024 with much more reduction. The wines were blended in steel the last week of August 2024 for a second winter on lees in steel and racked clean in late January 2025. The 2023 vintage has exceptional pedigree and clear site expression. The wines have high acidity, alcohol ranging 12.4%-13.1%. They are beautifully aromatic, crystalline, coiled, full of dry extract, long and structured.

Vinification: A blend of the oldest French oak pucheons and stainless steel drums, each lot was crushed into the press and browned in steel before a sulfur addition. Primary fermentations began with ambient pied de cuve in steel or in barrel, completing in French oak with full solid in 20-35 days. Ambient malolactic completed by December 2023 in all but one puncheon and two stainless drums, which remained unsulfured until late 2024. The final blend was made after 15 months in a cold cellar from 75% fourth and fifth fill puncheons and 25% stainless drums. The 2023 Black Label Chardonnay aged on lees for one year in old French oak and six months in stainless steel. No fining or filtration. Closed with 48mm CWINE3.

Chemistry: 6.4 g/L TA | 3.14 pH | 12.7% | 0.4g/L RS | 0.46 g/L VA | .19 g/L malic | ~33ppm SO2 (free)