Nicolas-Jay Affinites Willamette Valley Chardonnay 2023 (750ML)

Five vineyards feed the 2023 Affinites: Spirit Hill, Von Oehsen, Pearlstad, L'Angolo and Bishop Creek, gathered under the broad Willamette Valley appellation. The Chardonnay spent 13 months in French oak, 26% of it new. A whisper of reduction gives way to Asian pear, almond, chamomile and a dusting of ginger, with wet stone and white flowers behind. The palate is round and silky, generous with ripe orchard fruit and peach, but a firm line of acidity keeps it taut, and the finish turns toward lemon and nectarine with a faint tang of sea salt. Critics find it open now and expect it to drink well through somewhere between 2029 and 2035. Roast chicken with tarragon, seared scallops in brown butter, or aged Comté would all show it well.