Morgen Long 2023 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, Oregon

The Morgen Long 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay doesn’t glare; it illuminates. On the nose, lime balm and spearmint rise from orchard depths, joined by Key lime curd and a mineral flicker—granite and smoke, with a whisper of spice. It doesn’t shout; it pulses. 

On the palate, there’s an undercurrent of tension that lifts rather than weighs. Bright lemon and orchard fruit glide across the mid-palate, then pull back into chalky grip—slick acidity and limestone beneath. It’s chardonnay with a spine, not soft feathers. 

What gives this that wired structure is geography and care. Morgen Long sources from diverse sites—Blue Heron, Durant, von Oehsen, Koosah, Yamhill—each carrying soils of clay, volcanic ash, and marine influence. Together, they conjure a Clarified Willamette in motion. 

In the cellar, Seth Morgen Long keeps the interventions invisible on purpose. Turbid musts, ambient ferments, neutral oak, and strategic lees aging—all arranged to preserve tension not alter it. It’s wine built for clarity, not gloss. 

He doesn’t make Chardonnay; he follows it, picking across vintages to find balance—allowing acidity and site to guide the line. It smells volcanic, tastes lifted, and opens deeper with each sip.

Pair it with winter halibut, lemon-thyme chicken, or bring it when the night softens and conversation does too.

Morgen Long 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay—clarity harnessed, not declared.