WINE REVIEW: St. Innocent 2019 Chardonnay, Freedom Hill Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($36)

Outstanding New World Chardonnay from Oregon

by Andrew Chalk

Innocent, and a saint. That’s quite a qualification to live up to. This boutique Oregon winery founded by Mark Vlossak has labored under the radar for 36 years and it would be a benefit to the world if they had a larger audience. 

Mark Vlossak, founder and winemaker of St. Innocent Winery

This chardonnay, made from Dijon clones, is an impressive keeper. Very good to outstanding depending on how you judge the finish. This is a powerful and complex chardonnay that incorporates well-defined fruit with secondary flavors of oak and a subtle phenolic backbone. Signs of age enhance the enjoyment as it resolves its component parts together without evidence of fading. Keep for up to five years or enjoy today with food, where the healthy acid level will ensure rich enjoyment.

NAME:	St. Innocent 2019 Chardonnay, Freedom Hill Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($36)
APPEARANCE
Clarity	clear
Intensity	deep
Color	gold
Other observations
NOSE
Condition	clean
Intensity	medium plus
Aroma characteristics	lemon, mango, pineapple, ripe peach, vanilla, sherbet
PALATE
Sweetness	dry
Acidity	medium plus
Tannin
Alcohol	medium plus
Body	medium plus
Flavour intensity	high
Flavour characteristics	the lemon, peach, pineapple and mango in the nose predominate. Add a phenolic backbone, minerality, oak and coconut
Other observations
Finish	Medium plus to long
CONCLUSION
Quality assessment	Very Good to Outstanding depending on how you judge the finish. This is a powerful and complex chardonnay that incorporates well-defined fruit with secondary flavors of oak and a subtle phenolic backbone. Signs of age enhance the enjoyment as it resolves its component parts together without evidence of fading. Keep for up to five years or enjoy today with food, where the healthy acid level will ensure rich enjoyment.
Bottle ageing	Suitable