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Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur
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Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Chardonnay Arthur

Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur
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Service

  • Cellaring

    Optimum consumption: 4 to 6 years

    Ageing potential: 8 years

  • Tasting temperature

    13°C (55-56°F)

Grape variety

Chardonnay

Vineyard

Athur Chardonnay comes from 100% of the estate's vines, located in the Dundee Hills in the Willamette Valley. It is named after Véronique Boss-Drouhin' son. The yields are contained and the vine has an early ripening capacity. Domaine Drouhin Oregon is certified « Low Input Viticulture Environment » for sustainable viticulture.

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Tasting

by Véronique Boss-Drouhin

Expressive and vibrant, our Chardonnay Arthur opens with a flourish of tart green apple and a focused bouquet of orange blossom and nicely ripe melon. There is lemon zest, honeysuckle, and fresh almonds on the palate, with a note of pear essence on the finish. It offers a nice balanced acidity and a medium-long finish. 

Vintage

The 2022 growing season began with great optimism. After a reasonable winter, bud break started in early April, right on schedule. Then, an unprecedented arctic air mass swept in, bringing snowfall, below-freezing temperatures, and the first-ever frost to impact our vineyards. Subsequent cool and damp conditions over the next few months caused sluggish vine growth, putting us 2-4 weeks behind by June. Mercifully, Mother Nature bestowed abundant sunshine and higher-than-average temperatures on us as harvest approached, resulting in a gentle conclusion to the season and excellent fruit ripeness.

Winemaking

Our Chardonnay was hand-picked into small crates, and then whole-cluster pressed. It was partly fermented in French Oak barrels to reveal the complexity of the fruit through the slow breathing process that happens in wood. The rest was fermented and aged in stainless steel to keep the vibrancy and fruitiness. Véronique then blended these two portions to create a wine of a more delicate nature - Arthur. It is as if one brought together elements of a pure Chablis and an elegant Meursault.