Morgen Long Witness Tree Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills, USA 2024

A spectacular single-vineyard Chardonnay from Morgen Long, one of Oregon's most exciting producers dedicated exclusively to the variety. Witness Tree Vineyard is situated high in the Eola-Amity Hills, where steep southeast-facing slopes, volcanic basalt and Jory soils produce Chardonnay with remarkable tension, precision and minerality. The 2024 is an especially impressive bottling, offering aromas of white peach, lime zest, green apple, white currant and jasmine, with hints of ginger, almond and delicate toast. The palate is beautifully layered, combining silky richness and expressive stone fruit with vibrant acidity and a penetrating mineral backbone. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in French oak, this is a wonderfully balanced Chardonnay with impressive depth, texture and length. A serious, terroir-driven wine that brings to mind fine white Burgundy while maintaining its distinctive Oregon identity.

Jeb Dunnuck 96