Winery: Hyland Estates

Vintage: 2015

Wine Name/Vineyard: Chardonnay

Wine Category: Chardonnay

Grape blend: 100% Chardonnay

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Willamette Valley

State or country: Oregon

Price: $45

ABV: 13.2%

Cases produced: N/A

The Barrel Cellar Score:  94 points

Review date: September 20, 2020

About the Winemaker: Hyland Estate Winery has been making wine in Oregon since the “beginning” of the wine region; their first grapes were planted in 1971. One of my first Oregon wow moments came nearly a decade ago on my first of what would become many visits to Hyland’s tasting room. Owner and wine maker Laurent Montalieu is making some well thought out, complex, and refined wines, wines that can stand up next to some of the other, perhaps more recognized wines in the region.

The vines that produced this Chardonnay were planted in 1989.  Barrel fermentation and aging were used in it’s production

Wine makers from the Willamette Valley are creating fantastically refined wines with consistency year after year, and Hyland Estates deserves be recognized as one of the best regional wineries. 

Color:  Corn Husk

Nose:  Oak and butter

Taste: Oak, butter, wild mushrooms, pear, mineral notes, and hints of tropical fruit – pineapple and mango.

Assessment: Hyland Estates “2015 Chardonnay is decadent. It is full bodied, silky smooth, and creamy. A touch of acidity provides balance, a bit of brightness, and appreciable complexity. There is depth to this wine that most Chrdonnays fail to achieve. This wine is a stand-out wine with stand-out character, and I don’t say that lightly.

Ready to drink now; let newer vintages rest 1-2 years. 

Hyland Estates 2015 Chardonnay is an exceptional wine. 94 points.

Pairing recommendation: Well ripened golden delicious apple, aged Gouda, Duck Confit.