Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
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Wine &
Spirits -
James
Suckling
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Winemaker Notes
In a world dominated by Pinot Noir, the Chardonnays of Evening Land have quietly earned a loyal following. The bright, clean, and lively Seven Springs Chardonnay grows in the rockier areas of the vineyard’s mid-slope, offering a precise wine of clarity and finesse.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This takes off on a sprint— reflecting focused picking decisions and long élevage for a wine that races across the palate, then lingers on savory elements. It’s lifted from the get-go, with a sharp lemony scent framed by leesy notes that are slightly and pleasingly sour. The citrus notes deepen on the palate, the flavors of orange and lemon peel joining the lemon-lime vibes, all of it in the light grip of phenolics.
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James Suckling
A fresh, creamy and clear chardonnay with aromas of white apricots, apples, pie crust and lemons. Stony undertones, too. So clean-cut and balanced, with a medium body and mineral finish. Drink now.
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Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman stand at the vanguard of the new world wine. Together they steward the historic Seven Springs Vineyard into its fourth decade. At Evening Land Vineyards, they strive to grow and vinify fine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay from their historic Seven Springs Estate Vineyard in Oregon's Eola-Amity Hills. Totalling 85 acres under vine; their east-facing vineyard, farmed biodynamically since 2007, was first planted in 1984, and sits atop rocky, volcanic soils.
They are, first and foremost, faithful stewards of the historic Seven Springs vineyard, planted by Oregon wine pioneer Al MacDonald in 1984. On this dramatic east-facing slope, in the iron-rich and rocky, volcanic soils of the Eola-Amity Hills, Al MacDonald undertook what would become one of Oregon's most recognized vineyards. Nestled against a forest of Douglas fir with views eastward to Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson, it is immediately evident to any visitor why Al chose this site.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Running north to south, adjacent to the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA has shallow and well-drained soils created from ancient lava flows (called Jory), marine sediments, rocks and alluvial deposits. These soils force vine roots to dig deep, producing small grapes with great concentration.
Like in the McMinnville sub-AVA, cold Pacific air streams in via the Van Duzer Corridor and assists the maintenance of higher acidity in its grapes. This great concentration, combined with marked acidity, give the Eola-Amity Hills wines—namely Pinot noir—their distinct character. While the region covers 40,000 acres, no more than 1,400 acres are covered in vine.