Tan Fruit Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay Dundee Hills, USA 2019

VINTAGE : 2019

COUNTRY : USA

REGION/APPELLATION : Oregon, Willamette Valley

VARIETALS : Chardonnay

Tan Fruit is a brand-new project from Jim Maresh, proprietor of his family winery, Arterberry Maresh, and the winemaker behind some of the most exciting Chardonnays in the Willamette Valley today. Much of the fruit for the Arterberry Maresh wines are sourced from older estate vines, and very few cases are made each year. In 2019, Maresh founded Tan Fruit, for which he will purchase fruit. "I hear about fruit for sale that I'd love to play with," he explains. "It doesn't work for Arterberry, but for Tan Fruit, there are no rules." He made six cuvées this initial vintage, and unsurprisingly, they are some of the best Chardonnays of 2019.

"The 2019 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard comes from Dijon clones planted in 1991, and it was matured in about 35% new oak. This vintage is pure and tensile, with scents of tarragon and fragrant herbs, beeswax and almonds, with plush white peach fruit. The palate combines intense ripe fruit with a spine of tangy, tense acidity, and it finishes with tremendous length. Allow it another 3-5 years in bottle."

97 points Erin Brooks