10 Best Chardonnays From Oregon

Our 2019 Chardonnay has been selected as one of the best in Oregon! Read the full article here: Vinepair

From the article, in the words of Edward Deitch, "it’s well established that Oregon’s Willamette Valley is one of the world’s preeminent regions for Pinot Noir ... but the region’s Chardonnays, which have also been part of the landscape almost since the Willamette Valley first appeared on the wine map in the mid-1960s, deserve more attention."

Thank you Edward – we whole-heartedly agree!

Our 2019 Chardonnay is crisp, mineral-driven, with just a touch of oak – all in perfect balance – produced entirely from estate fruit grown in rocky volcanic basalt. After 14 months of aging primarily neutral French oak barrels, it spent 5 additional months in stainless steel on lees, offering lovely aromatics, length, and acidity.

Only 115 cases produced... get yours here:

Le Cadeau Vineyard 2019 Chardonnay ($45) - "This gorgeous wine is muted and complex, with a perfect balance of fruit, acidity, and oak. Zesty citrus, herb, and floral notes accent green apple and apricot tastes. Hints of powdered cinnamon, vanilla, and butterscotch complete the profile of this exceedingly smooth wine. With bright acidity, it’s an excellent food wine — herb roasted chicken and grilled salmon are just a couple of the possibilities. It’s a wine that doesn’t scream out but leaves a lasting impression."

It is inevitable each December that most of us look back at the year and think of the things we loved. Much to the chagrin of our spouses and partners, many of us also like to makes lists ranking our favorites!

For a wine critic, it is an important way to highlight the best bottles of the year in the massive sea of wine that is available to us all. (It is estimated that 63.5 million bottles of wine were sold last year just from Oregon alone!)

James Suckling, former senior editor of Wine Spectator for almost 30 years, just released his Top 100 Wine of the USA 2022 and we are delighted to be featured.

Rated 96 Points, our 2019 Diversité Pinot Noir is a gorgeous wine and we are proud to be in such great company on his year-end list. Cheers James!

Interested in the wine he sampled? Get it here:

Le Cadeau Vineyard 2019 Diversité Pinot Noir ($60) - "Dark strawberry with orange-peel and wet-earth aromas follow through to a full body with medium, creamy and round tannins and a savory finish. Beautiful, so delicious and polished. One for the cellar."

96 Points | Only 231 cases produced

We were honored to host publisher and writer Meredith May to Le Cadeau Vineyard this summer. She was able to visit our tasting room and tour our unique 16-acre vineyard atop Parrett Mountain in the Chehalem Mountains AVA.

You can read her write up of the experience in the October/November 2019 issue of The SOMM Journal by clicking the link. (We're on pages 108-109.)

Interested in the wines she sampled? Get them here:

From Meredith: 

Le Cadeau Vineyard 2017 Rocheux Pinot Noir ($50) - From winemaker Jim Sanders, it offers up a woodsy note of tree sap, coriander, raspberry, and cherry. 90

From Meredith:

Le Cadeau Vineyard 2017 Cote Est Pinot Noir ($50) - An expression delivering earth, spice, and cherry-cedar underbrush from winemaker Steve Ryan. Vibrancy is key to the weighty palate, which presents salted mocha and bright fruit. 93

From Meredith:

Le Cadeau Vineyard 2017 Diversite Pinot Noir ($50) - Made by Sanders, it shows redder fruit followed by roses and mushroom. Sharp, tart, and edgy, with spiced flowers, cinnamon stick, and cherry. 93

From Meredith:

Le Cadeau Vineyard 2016 Trajet Reserve Pinot Noir ($80) - A whole-cluster Pinot Noir from Ryan with a spice-box nose and palate. Sassafras, green tea, fennel, and plum skin make this Mortimer's most ageworthy wine. 94

This vintage is not yet available online. You can try the 2014 vintage here or the 2015 vintage here.