Belle Pente, Chardonnay 2019, Estate Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, OR

This 2019 Estate Chardonnay used grapes from two harvests to get a broad spectrum of flavor. It’s full-flavored and bright with citrus and tropical fruits, with a round creaminess on the palate from lies aging. Drink now or age it for 10 years.

COUNTRY: USA

STATE: Oregon

APPELLATION (AVA): Yamhill-Carlton

REGION: Willamette Valley

VINEYARD: Estate Vineyard

VINTAGE: 2019

GRAPES: 100% Chardonnay (Clone Selections: 42% Dijon 95, 32% Dijon 76, 14% Dijon 96, 12%  Espiguette 352

SOIL: Marine sedimentary (Willakenzie) soil over sandstone

PRACTICE: Organic, biodynamic and regenerative

VINIFICATION: 100% barrel fermented in both Oregon (25%) and French (75%) oak, 10% new, 30% 2-3 year old, 60% 4+ years (neutral). 12 months aged in barrel sur lie. Full malolactic fermentation.

PRODUCTION: 225 cases produced

STYLE: Still

COLOR: Lemon

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Dry

PRIMARY AROMAS: citrus, green apple, ripe tropical fruits

FLAVOR: Full flavored with bright acidity with a round creaminess

AGEABILITY: Now over over the next 10 years.

FORMAT: 750ml

ALCOHOL: 12.8%

SERVICE AND FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTION: Serve chilled. Pair with our East Coast Small Calamari with Garlic & Lemon Sauce and Classic Gnocchi. 

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: “At Belle Pente we are dedicated to producing high quality artisanal wines in partnership with nature and with respect for the environment. In the winery, our processing philosophy reflects the inspiration we draw from “old world” winegrowing traditions: that great wine is made in the vineyard and merely nurtured in the winery. Grapes are hand harvested and meticulously sorted upon arrival at the winery. Our 3 level gravity-flow facility is designed for gentle, natural winemaking in small lots, with minimal handling and manipulation, to preserve varietal integrity and the unique attributes of the time and place in which the wines were grown.” (bellepente.com)

“Jill & Brian O’Donnell established Belle Pente Vineyards in 1994, with the first wine produced in 1996. Brian is from New York City, and Jill from St Cloud, Minnesota. They met while living in California, and moved to the Willamette Valley in 1992. Both were award-winning home brewers, and Brian began making wine for family and friends in 1986. On the night of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, they resolved to begin a transition out of their Silicon Valley careers to start up a small premium vineyard & winery. Brian is currently responsible for production, and he and Jill share marketing and administrative duties. Daughter Riona arrived just in time for the 1999 vintage, and now serves as Director of Social Media Marketing (in her free time between Neuroscience classes at the University of Vermont)!” (bellepente.com)

“Belle Pente (bell-pont’) means “beautiful slope” – a perfect description for our 70 acre hillside vineyard & winery site in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It also reflects the inspiration that we draw from the exquisite wines of Burgundy and Alsace, following the guiding principle that great wine is made in the vineyard and merely nurtured in the winery. We are located on a historic 1840s farmstead two miles east of the town of Carlton in the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area.” (bellepente.com)

ABOUT THE VINEYARD: Belle Pente Estate Vineyard

“Since 2004, our Chardonnay has been 100% estate grown from a small, 2 acre parcel sited on a steep, south-west slope, planted in 1999 and 2000.” (bellepente.com)

ABOUT THE LABEL: The label depicts the Belle Pente vineyard and winery site.