Morgen Long 2023 Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

The Morgen Long 2023 Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay arrives with quiet intent. The first aroma opens to grapefruit pith and lime leaf, then turns to crushed stone and a faint curl of smoky flint. It’s delicate and focused—like limestone warmed by sunshine.

The sip stretches upward next, tension cradling fruit. Zesty citrus threads through chalky minerality and fine-grained texture. Acidity gives it lift, while lees-driven weight keeps it from feeling lean. Nothing is spared, nothing is pushed—it’s balanced, crystalline, articulated.

This isn’t just a vineyard blend. Morgen Long sculpts this expression from Koosah, Witness Tree, Temperance Hill, and X Omni—all ridge sites in Eola–Amity Hills defined by volcanic soils and Pacific winds. The result is terroir distilled: salt, shale, cold air, and a seam of austerity.

Site and season matter too. The 2023 vintage began cool and wet but turned hot through summer. Harvest fell into a mindful rhythm, with four picks from early September and another wave later. Ambient yeast and lees were honored—half completing malolactic before winter, the rest in spring—to preserve energy and clarity.

This is Chardonnay with sober poetry. It doesn’t sing; it hums—not trying to impress, but staying rooted, nuanced, and enduring. Eola-Amity Hills 2023—cool clarity in a glass.