Pale gold color; yellow apple, lemon, peach, apricot, citrus, vanilla, toffee, white flowers, saline-minerality on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins; crisp acidity. Medium-plus body; caressing, velvety mouthfeel. Rich and delicious. The website does not share much about the vintage and winemaking. There is a hint of oak, but clearly oak was not an emphasis. The 2021 vintage in the Willamette Valley was testing. Compris left the fruit hanging to gain full maturity ahead of possible difficult harvest weather that loomed. Well, this bottle testifies that it all worked out nicely. 13.5% ABV
Vidon was the winery’s original name, but in 2022 they changed the name to Compris to “reflect their mission and values, striving to create a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable community through wine.” The winery is best known for syrah and tempranillo. They released their first wine under the Compris label with a 2021 vintage of a rosé of tempranillo. Now it ventures into pinot noir and chardonnay, and this is a notable success. The Chehalem Mountains AVA is located in the northern Willamette Valley of Oregon, about 20 miles southwest of Portland.
Vicki and Don Hagge established Vidon Vineyard in 1999 (note the portmanteau of their names). From the beginning they emphasized minimal intervention in the winery and respect for the vineyard soil. Dru and Erin Allen purchased the winery in 2020 and appointed Tiquette Bramlett as president in 2021, the first Black woman to oversee a winery in the United States. Bramlett also is the founder of Our Legacy Harvested, a nonprofit that supports diversity in winemaking. Bramlett moved to Chosen Family Wines in 2023, but she was president of Compris when this wine was made. Piper Stalker is the president today.
The website notes: “Compris believes in empowering the community to challenge industry traditions and foster positive change. Both the vineyard and winery are certified under the LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) program and Salmon Safe, and every step in the process is done gently, mostly by hand.”
Compris Vineyard Wavelength Estate Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains AVA 2021 is rich and delicious. Fascinating aromatics, seductive texture, satisfying finish. Demonstrates Chehalem can do chardonnay right. Oregon continues to solidify its place as a premier wine producing region, not just in the U.S., but in the world. $45-50
Pairing—mild, buttery, creamy dishes. Crab with drawn butter or crab mac and cheese; scallops in butter sauce; lobster, shrimp in light cream or butter sauce. Roast chicken with lemon, tarragon, and butter. Pork loin, pork chops. Creamy risotto with roasted butternut squash, sweet corn; roasted root vegetables, cauliflower. Cheese—fresh goat cheese, chèvre, Montrachet Chèvre, Vermont Creamery Bijou, Humboldt Fog; triple-cream brie-style, Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamery; camembert; gruyère, aged manchego, smoked gouda; aged cheddar, parmigiano-reggiano.
