2019 00 "VGR" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

“If you really like chardonnay, you really need to taste these wines.” Nick Stock

“Reminding many of the wines of Coche-Dury.” Charles Curtis MW, Decanter 

For American wine lovers, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has long been synonymous with Pinot Noir. In fact, the home page of The Willamette Valley Wineries Association proudly proclaims in large type: “We Are Pinot Noir.”

But some, including myself, think that Chardonnay has even created potential in Willamette than Pinot Noir. The great burgundy winemaker Dominique Lafon of Meursault's Comtes Lafon has called Willamette Valley the best place in the world to make Chardonnay besides Burgundy: "the Best in the New World."

00 was founded by Chris and Kathryn Hermann in the pursuit of proving to the world how great Willamette Valley Chardonnays can truly be. The wines are sourced from some of Willamette's greatest vineyards, Seven Springs, Chehalem Mountain, Eola Springs, Hyland and Open Claim.

The Chardonnays are produced using the same method as Roulot, Coche-Dury, Kongsgaard, and David Ramey, the so-called 'Black Chardonnay' method. 

We've been on the winery waiting list for a long time, so we are thrilled that they have now opened up to distributing tiny quantities of their wines nationally. 

Even though their focus is on Chardonnay, 00 also produces some exceptional red wine. 'VGR' stands for "Very Good Red" and it is certainly that, with spicy red fruits exploding from the glass and a silky, savory finish.