2022 Brittan Vineyards Chardonnay, McMinnville, USA

The Moment

Some Chardonnays are built around richness.
Others are built around tension.

The 2022 Brittan Vineyards Chardonnay is the kind of bottle that lands beautifully in that second category — precise, lifted, and quietly layered, with just enough texture to keep the wine from ever feeling severe. Pear tart, yuzu, white flowers, and orange blossom on the nose, followed by Meyer lemon, white peach, and warm brioche on the palate, all carried by a crisp mineral line.

What makes this bottle especially compelling is the way it balances brightness with depth. Flintiness, Asian pear, lemon curd, yellow peach, chamomile, crushed stone, quince, and cream, with a palate that is taut, acid-driven, soft in texture, and long on the finish. This is Oregon Chardonnay in a very convincing register — not overworked, not overripe, and built more around site and structure than oak alone.

What It Feels Like

Think roast chicken hitting the table, candles low, somebody taking the first sip and going quiet for a second, and a white that keeps revealing new details as it warms.

What makes this wine work is the contrast between its generosity and its restraint. You get orchard fruit, citrus, flowers, and brioche, but the wine never turns broad or buttery. This is the first vintage sourced exclusively from the estate, and the production details — whole-cluster pressing, native fermentation, full malo, and 10 months in French oak with 15% new barrels — help explain why the wine feels textural and complete while still staying taut and mineral.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Pear tart, yuzu, white flowers, orange blossom, flint, and a light chamomile note.

Palate
Meyer lemon, white peach, Asian pear, lemon curd, quince, and brioche, with a distinctly mineral frame.

Texture
Sleek and acid-driven, but softened by an enveloping texture that keeps the wine feeling polished rather than sharp.

Finish
Long, bright, and mineral, with citrus, orchard fruit, and a gentle honey-nut note lingering through the close.

Why We Love This Bottle

A Chardonnay With Real Precision
This is not built around oak sweetness or weight. The defining feel here is tension, mineral clarity, and detail.

Estate Fruit Comes Through
The first Chardonnay sourced exclusively from the estate, and the wine reads like it — focused, site-driven, and very much shaped by McMinnville’s cooler, structured side. 

Textural Without Losing Lift
Full malolactic fermentation and 10 months in French oak give this wine breadth, but the acidity and mineral line keep it energetic. That is a very good lane for Chardonnay.

Pair It With

• Roast chicken
• Halibut or cod
• Mushroom risotto
• Pasta with cream and lemon
• Triple-cream cheese

Technical Notes

Producer: Brittan Vineyards
Region: McMinnville AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Vineyard: Brittan Estate Vineyard
Grape: Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.7%
Cases Produced: 125 cases

Winemaking: Whole-cluster pressed, settled overnight, then moved to French oak barrels for native fermentation. The wine completed full malolactic fermentation and was aged 10 months in French oak, 15% new, before bottling.

Body: Light-Medium
Structure: Bright acidity · mineral drive · soft textural core · long finish

Flavor Profile
Pear Tart · Yuzu · Meyer Lemon · White Peach · Brioche · Flint · Chamomile · Crushed Stone

Drink Window
Now–2035