I've been a fan of Adelsheim since the early 2000's after getting to taste their Willamette Valley Pinot Noir (which is always sure to please). Adelsheim produces several tiers of Pinot Noir as well as a fine Pinot Gris.
This review covers their new Chardonnay--Willamette Valley 2007. This label is new for the 2007 vintage. For the 2006 vintage they produced a Chardonnay titled simply "CH" but that has been discontinued and replaced by the subject of this review.
At $22, this wine is a little higher than those I normally discuss. However, I have wanted to try this one for a while and decided to give it a go. It is not what I call and "weekday wine" but instead should be saved to pair with a meal of roasted chicken or grilled fish.
This wine is marketed as unoaked (although after research I found that 8% was fermented in barrels to add "complexity") and compares nicely to Silver by Mer Soleil and is significantly less expensive than that $35-40 bottle.
Make sure to let this wine warm a little when you take it out of the fridge. Once it warms up to 40-45 degrees the aroma of a pear or apple orchard fills the glass. Then, you get to experience a clean, crisp glass of a first-rate wine. If you serve a Chardonnay right out of the fridge, the cold temperature will mask the flavors and aromas. So.....take that bottle out and let it warm up a little bit!
Adelsheim Willamette Valley Chardonnay is a great wine and I really liked it. Don't hesitate to give it a try. If you like a lot of oak or a "buttery" chardonnay....you will not like this one. But, to all of you "big oak" Chard drinkers: give the oak a rest and try some of these Naked/Unwooded/Unoaked Chardonnays. They are a refreshing break from the often overbearing woody taste you have been getting with those "high end" chards.
Rating: Very Good
Price: $20-22
Note: Adelsheim produces a few other "high end" Chardonnays. These will be in the $40-$60 price range and are not the same as the wine reviewed here.
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