Quick Sip: Westrey Willamette Valley 2012 Reserve Chardonnay

Hello Friends,

Today’s Quick Sip is the Westrey Reserve 2012 Chardonnay from Willamette Valley, Oregon. Amy Wesselman, proprietor and co-winemaker of Westrey Wine Company, was recently featured on Protocol Wine Studio’s weekly (every Tuesday at 9PM EST) #winestudio Twitter chat. The show, or ‘twittersation’ as I call it, focused on Willamette Valley Chardonnays for the entire month of November. And as a willing, Twitter-savvy participant, I had a chance to chat with Amy and others and taste her 2012 Reserve Chardonnay.

Amy and her husband, David Autrey, founded Westrey Wine Company in 1993. They are a small farm winery producing approximately 5K cases annually from their Oracle Vineyard and other nearby sites. Their specialty is Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay – all grape varieties indigenous to Burgundy, France, that do extremely well in the Willamette Valley. Speaking of which, it was the couple’s year-long internship in Burgundy that sealed their fate in the wine industry. Upon returning to Oregon, Amy and David took a one-small-step-at-a-time business approach. They purchased a neglected vineyard in the Dundee Hills and focused on growing and crafting small lots of wine – all while working at several other local wineries during the day. For Amy, this included a five year stint at Eyrie Vineyards -- Willamette Valley's founding winery. Today, Westrey Wine Company is a thriving winery and the vineyard Amy and David revived /replanted is LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) certified and producing quality fruit. The Chardonnay tasted for this segment is deliciously balanced and a complement to a wide variety of foods and occasions. I highly recommend giving it a swirl, sniff, and sip! For further information and where you can find it, please see my tasting notes below.

Westrey Willamette Valley 2012 Reserve Chardonnay

Review: Westrey Willamette Valley 2012 Reserve Chardonnay (SRP $32): Medium straw in color, this beautifully crafted Chardonnay opens with inviting notes of fresh tree fruit, citrus blossom, honeysuckle, a hint of allspice, and a pleasing trail of minerality. It is lean in the mouth but attractively textured, with fresh fruit flavors that marry with subtle oak nuances giving way to a bright, mineral-tinged finish. Overall, this is a delightful Chardonnay that emphasizes purity and balance. It is easily enjoyed on its own or with food and paired wonderfully with my baked tilapia dinner. Approximately 142 cases of this wine and 4 magnums were produced. Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon. (Other info: ABV 13.5%, 35 yr old Draper vines, six barrel lot included one new and two one-year old barrels, cork enclosure) 90 Points. Click here to find this wine.

Have a question about this post? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter. Stay tuned ...more to come. Happy Sipping, my friends! Disclosure: This wine was provided for review. Thoughts are my own.