2024 Willamette Valley Chardonnay

For the second year, Sojeau and Bracken Vineyards build the whole of our Willamette Valley blend. Picked a week apart, Sojeau brings richness and power against the brisker and more slender frame of the uphill blocks at Bracken. Remarkably similar in chemistry to the ’23, the new version feels like a step up in concentration. Alcoholic fermentation lasted just over a month before a lengthy malolactic conversion kept the wines “ticking” through April and May of the following Spring. Transferred (with all available lees) to tank a week from harvest on September 3rd, with the final months of aging and clarification in stainless steel before gentle filtration and bottling on January 22nd, 2026. Salt spray, lemon peel, melon, orchard flowers— complex but focused and taught. Slender and icy initially, the richness on the palate builds. Citrus toned and mild in fruit power, something barely herbal, with glassier textural elements dominating the front end. Mouthwatering, with excellent cut and density. Compared to ’23 a step up in weight, but with resounding structure that marks it more elegant than opulent. 250 cases and 12 magnums produced; 12.3% alcohol $35 per bottle