Ken Wright Cellars Chardonnay 09

By combining the richness and ripeness of Del Rio Vineyard fruit and the acid and mineral complexity of Celilo vineyard we ended up with an incredibly expressive and balanced Chardonnay blend. The blend consists of 73% Celilo Vineyard and 27% Del Rio Vineyard Chardonnay. - The Winery

A superbly detailed Chardonnay, with round notes of ripe summer apricot and lemon. The fruit is complemented with a touch of sweet vanilla from about 10% new oak that adds to the wines richness. Hints of minerality on the finish would pair well with seared scallops. - Avalon

Celilo is a unique vineyard situated on a 1,000' bluff overlooking the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge. It lies on the south face of Mount Underwood, which is currently an inactive volcano. The soil is pulverized basalt, extremely porous and loose, which promotes deep rooting. The vineyard was planted in 1983.

Unlike the Chardonnay grown in the hot eastern desert of Washington, this is a much cooler site. As a result, the fruit retains more acidity and the wine displays a clean mineral character with an expansive texture.