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Eisold-Smith Wines 2014 Chardonnay
Boy meets girl. Sparks fly. Then, wine!
So, there was this time when Adam Smith was in a band. A reasonably successful band that signed a recording contract with a label based out of Portland. So Adam moved to Portland and decided to explore the area.
He wandered into Domaine Serene and fell in love with their wines. He tried to talk his way into a job as the tasting room manager, but his lack of experience was glaring. Stymied, he convinced them to let him work as a cellar rat. And the rest, as they say, is history.
More than 10 years later, Adam left the music world for the wine world. Interned at some of the Willamette Valley's most prestigious wineries, made wine in New Zealand, and fell in love with a rockstar viticulturist, Lauren Eisold. One of the few women vineyard managers in the Willamette Valley, the range of the vineyards she manages is astounding.
In 2009, they decided to start their own (wine) label and bought a little land to rehab into their own vineyard. Now they are one of the hottest winemaking teams in Oregon crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They like to say that they're "hopelessly devoted to producing beautiful wines that express elegance, complexity and integrity."
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Eisold-Smith Wines, Carlton, Oregon
2014 Chardonnay
Not sure about Chardonnay? Give this one a taste. You're going to love it.
From a variety of small, sustainably-grown vineyards in the Willamette Valley, this wine is barrel-fermented for 12 months in neutral French oak, on the lees, and goes through 100% malolactic fermentation.
The resulting wine is classic in style, but not cloying with oak. You'll notice citrus notes and hints of spice on the nose and a bright mouth feel - and a supple and tasty finish that makes you wonder, "Am I tasting pears dipped in honey?"
A Cellar 503 selection in April 2017, Natural Wines Willamette Valley | Chardonnay
