Reviews

Check our individual Wine notes pages for reviews and quotes on each of our wines.

The Wine Advocate, August 2009, Jay Miller

"With all of the attention focused on Willamette Valley’s Pinot Noirs, their excellent white wines often get overlooked. This is a shame because there is plenty of quality as well as superb value and no one is doing it better than Chehalem."

Paulgregutt.com, August 25, 2009, Paul Gregutt

"I don’t know how Chehalem is viewed by other critics, but I have found this property to be one of the top 10 in Oregon, with a clear focus, a style that emphasizes breed and elegance, attentive and thoughtful winemakein in every vintage, no matter how challenging, and prices that fall on the light side.… All Chehalem wines are highly recommended.…"

The New York Times, July 29, 2009, Eric Asimov

"Chardonnay producers have already been moving away from overt oakiness for several years. I expect to see even more chardonnays using no-oak marketing terms like naked, virgin, inox, metallico and the more plain-spoken unoaked."

The Splendid Table, July 13, 2009, Ray Isle

"[Chehalem INOX is] one of my favorites and one of the ones that started this trend in the US toward unoaked chardonnay... lovely sort of spicy melon-pear flavors and what I think of as a tongue-tingling texture. It really brings your tongue to life instead of sitting on it like an elephant. One of the models of the form. It’s a really wonderful wine."

To listen to the rest of Ray Isle's interview...

Wine Review Online, June 23, 2009, "Thinking Outside the Barrel," Robert Whitley

"I had to go to Oregon's Willamette Valley to find an example of oak-free New World Chardonnay that satisfied the Chablis craving within me. Chehalem's 2008 INOX is made from estate vineyards that were planted a few years back to the Dijon clone of Chardonnay, which is well-suited for cool-climate Chardonnay production. From the first sip I knew this was the Hold Grail of un-oaked New World Chardonny..."

The Wine Spectator, November 15, 2006, "Cooler is Better for Oregon Pinot," Harvey Steiman

"On the white side, although vintners profess a preference for light, fruity Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Blanc, only a few actually achieve distinction. Chehalem gets a blanched almond note, adding depth to the delicate pear and honeydew flavors in its Pinot Gris Willamette Valley Reserve 2005 (90, $21), and its Riesling Willamette Valley Corral Creek Vineyards 2005 (90, $24) has a crisp texture, with peach and grapefruit flavors."

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31190 NE Veritas Lane • Newberg, OR 97132
Tasting Room (503) 538-4700 • Winery (503) 537-5553 • Fax (503) 537-0850