At Tan Fruit, Jim Maresh explores the potential of Willamette Valley Chardonnay, and man-oh-man, this guy has the magic touch with the variety. I think a strong argument could me made that he is one of our country's top winemakers and vignerons.
Since launching in 2019, not one of Jim's single vineyard Chards has scored lower than 93 points, and a couple of these wines have registered nearly perfect scores. This is one of the most exciting Chardonnay producers in the world, and Jim's 2022's were some of the top-rated Chardonnays produced in our country.
Both his White Walnut and Anela Vineyard Chardonnays took home 96 points, making them two of the highest-rated Chardonnays produced in the US for the vintage. We received a tiny allocation, as only about 200 cases of each are made, and just to help you understand how good these are, look at some of the wines they out-scored:
2022 DuMol Hyde (95 points, $90), 2022 Kistler Vine Hill (95 points, $200), 2022 Aubert UV-SL (95 points, $100), Kistler Hudson (94 points, $200), Mayacamas Terraces (94 points, $100), and the list goes on and on and on.
Up first is the 2022 Anela Vineyard Chardonnay, and this is the debut vintage. What a great start! This rocky site is planted to the famed Draper clone of Chardonnay, which was first brought to Oregon by the fine folks at Eyrie. It is a revelatory wine.
2022 Tan Fruit Anela Vineyard Chardonnay
96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 98+ points Josh Spurling
Click HERE to place your order!
Jim Maresh knows how to make dramatic and age-worthy Chardonnay, and that's exactly what you get here. The Anela Vineyard is special, and Jim said it is the "stoniest vineyard he's ever seen in Oregon, and he's convinced it's one of the great Chardonnay spots in the United States. After tasting this one, I'd have to agree with him.
Tasted blind, I'd guess this was a Premier Cru Chablis or Puligny. You are going to have to trust me when I say that this has got a long life ahead of it. In its current state, it's quite lean, savory, and mineralic, with just a whiff of fruit. In time, the fruit will fill in, and it will transform into a magical bottle of wine. Trust me.....
The reason I know this is because I had a 2017 Arterberry Maresh Dux Vineyard Chard recently, and it was like drinking a Grand Cru Chablis. Patience is key with both of these wines, as they are tightly wound currently.
I love Erin Brook's (Wine Advocate) tasting notes on this one, but I can only guess that she decanted this or drank it over the course of a few days. "The 2022 Chardonnay Anela is singular and savory. Candied peaches and manuka honey mingle with dried sage, roasted hazelnuts and struck flint on the nose, and it teases you with slowly blossoming, spicy undertones. The palate is luxurious and satiny with kaleidoscopic, mouth-coating flavors, and its modest 30% new French oak is already well integrated. It has a foil of laser-like acidity, and its juiciness and hauntingly long finish draw you back to the glass again and again. Drink 2025 - 2035."
Equally compelling, but also quite primal, is the 2022 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard. Just the second vintage produced, the first vintage (2021) took home a 99-point rating from the Wine Advocate. The '22 is a worthy successor.
2022 Tan Fruit White Walnut Vineyard Chardonnay
96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 99+ points Josh Spurling
Click HERE to place your order!
From a site on Jim's "home turf" in the Dundee Hills, it's a very unique and special vineyard, as it is home to 10 different heritage clones of Chardonnay. Aged for 12 months in French oak (mostly neutral) and then another 6 months in stainless steel, it is a wine that flirts with perfection for this palate.
Like the Anela, this is wound very tight, and it also throws serious Grand Cru Chablis vibes. Compared to the Anela, there's a bit more fruit character already present, but I don't plan to open another bottle for at least 3 to 5 years. I know it's going to turn into a nearly perfect Chardonnay.
Erin Brooks summed this one up quite well too; again, she must have run this through a Vitamix to get such effusive notes : ): "Last year's debut of Tan Fruit's 2021 White Walnut Chardonnay was extraordinarily singular and expressive, and this 2022 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard is just as arresting. Matured for 12 months in barrel, plus six months in stainless steel, it explodes from the glass with a kaleidoscopic perfume of lychee and peach preserves streaked with accents of honey, hazelnut and green herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth coating and echoes the exoticism of the nose as it unfolds layer after layer of honeyed, spicy, floral fruit. Its focused spine of acidity expertly balances its natural opulence, and it has a hauntingly long finish. Drink 2025 - 2035."
Nationwide demand is incredibly high for both of these, and I'm proud to be able to sell these cellar-worthy, world-class Chardonnays. If you drink either now, you're going to want to decant them for at least 2 hours.....my advice -- lay them down and drink through 2040.