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Jeff Wellburn
The Wine
Cool‑climate wines like this can make Chardonnay lovers of the most ardent skeptic! The wine is a study in restraint and quiet depth - a wine worthy of careful, enjoyable contemplation.
The nose opens with lemon blossom, white peach, and a faint saline note that signals its Eola–Amity Hills origin. On the palate, the wine expresses citrus peel, pear skin, and a gentle herbal edge that feels more coastal than inland. The acidity is brisk but not sharp, giving the wine a long, tapering finish touched by wet stone and a hint of hazelnut. Pricey and worth every damn penny.
Pairings: Rich fish like Halibut with fennel and lemon, herb-roasted poultry, Dungeness crab or a triple-cream nice brie!
The Winery
Whale Song is a small producer in Oregon that focuses on site-driven wines from the region's cool (literally, not figuratively, as this area's rural location deters urban hipsters) hills west of Salem.
The fruit comes from vineyards shaped by the famed 'Van Duzer Corridor', where marine breezes preserve acidity and slow ripening, giving the wines their signature tension.
The winemaking is minimal and transparent—native fermentations, modest oak, and a focus on texture rather than richness. The result is a Chardonnay that captures the AVA’s volcanic soils and maritime influence with precision, lift, and a quiet sense of place.
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