Kelley Fox Wines Chardonnay Willamette Valley 2024 (750ML)

Neutral French barriques hold 65% of the 2024 Kelley Fox Willamette Valley Chardonnay and concrete amphorae the other 35%, so no new oak touches it. The fruit is split evenly between two contrasting vineyards: Durant, on volcanic Jory soil in the Dundee Hills, and Freedom Hill, on marine sedimentary Bellpine soil farther south. Both ferment with indigenous yeasts. The year opened with a hard ice storm in mid-January, then settled into a sunny, moderate summer without late heat; Freedom Hill was picked in late September and Durant in early October, keeping acidity high. The wine is bright yellow-gold and tightly focused, with lemon, green apple, apricot and white flowers, a hint of ginger and flint, and a rounded middle that narrows into a long, saline finish. Critics suggest drinking it over the next several years. Open it with oysters, grilled halibut or crab cakes.