The first wine released by Marnie and Brett Wall under their Open Claim Vineyards brand reflects the selection and patience from renowned winemaker Tony Rynders. A single new French oak barrel in the three-barrel blend of Dijon clones 76 and 95 builds the type of nose that helped make Chardonnay so popular in this country – light toast, lemon, ripe Bosc pear and white pineapple notes. Those tones make their way onto the palate, which includes some butterscotch cream in the midpalate. That enjoyable mouth feel transitions into a long and food-friendly finish of lemony acidity and zest. This early work by Rynders on behalf of the Walls provides a prism into the young 21-acre planting cooled by the Van Duzer Corridor effect in the proposed Mount Pisgah American Viticultural Area west of Salem.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 77 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
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