What to Buy
'07 INOX Chardonnay Floral, bright pear, green apple, peach, vanilla bean, ginger $19
'07 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris Brilliant white, daphne, gardenia, citrus, spearmint, honey, ambrosia, golden plum $19
'07 3 Vineyard Pinot Noir Black tea, smoke, clove, nutmeg, cardamom $32
'06 Reserve Pinot Noir Cherry,
chocolate, perfume, pepper, vanilla $60
Getting There
From I-5 S, take Tualatin-Sherwood Exit #289. Follow Tualatin Sherwood Rd. (four miles) to Hwy 99 W and turn left. Continue to Newberg, keeping right. Turn left on Meridian St. Turn left on First St. Go one block to Center St.
|
Chehalem (chuh-HAY-lum) is a word invented by the native Calapooia tribe to describe the "gentle land" or "valley of flowers" where Chehalem wines are grown. With the same reverence for the land, Chehalem considers itself a vineyard winery, dedicated to producing wines that express what the vineyard has created in the purest possible way.
The grapes that become Chehalem wines are born in three vineyards. The organically farmed 55-acre Ridgecrest Vineyard located northwest of Newberg, was started by Co-owner/Winemaker Harry Peterson-Nedry more than 20 years ago. Stoller Vineyards, farmed by Co-owners Bill and Cathy Stoller, is a densely planted 140 acres located at the southern tip of the Dundee Hills. And, surrounding the winery, the rolling Corral Creek Vineyards provide another 32 planted acres. The three vineyards have distinctively different soil types and climates, allowing the winery to produce a variety of complex, structured, and intensely fruited cool-climate wines.
Equally well known for its quality red and white wines, Chehalem possesses a philosophy that often dismisses current industry trends. One example is found in the Pinot Gris. Emulating the Alsatian style, the winery produces two distinct versions of this varietal: a bright, crisp, tank-fermented Pinot Gris, and a rich, round, neutral barrel-fermented Reserve Pinot Gris. And when it comes to Pinot Noir, Chehalem looks for deftness and elegance as opposed to inky blackness and heavy wood.
|
){kind=link}