St Innocent Winery Freedom Hill Chardonnay 06 has a distinct minerality characteristic of the vineyard site. Freedom Hill vineyard is in the southwest part of the mid-Willamette Valley. The soils are silty clay, and the flavor of the wine reflects the terroir.
The St Innocent Freedom Hill Chardonnay is often compared to a white Burgundy from Meursault - richly textured mouthfeel and distinct sense of stones. slate, and a crisp finish. The scent of the 2006 Freedom Hill Chardonnay contains distinct notes of slate, granite and marble, entwined with hints of pear, citrus blossom, and toast. Flavors are a bit austere, with minerality combining in layers of melon, pear, apple, and spice. The finish is long and shifts from crisp fresh acidity and citrus to clean slate and a rich, leesy texture.
Detailed Info, Previous Vintage Notes, Reviews:
2005 Vintage tasting Notes
From the winery: "Freedom Hill Chardonnay has mineral aromas remind me of granite and marble. Intermixed are aromas of ripe citrus, pineapple, and pear. Soft, graceful, and very pretty in the mouth, it reminds me a cross between well made Maconais, Mersault, and Chablis Chardonnays. Match this wine with shellfish, roasted birds, and cheeses."
2004 Vintage tasting Notes
From the winery: "The Freedom Hill Dijon clone Chardonnays are Mersault-like: darker fruit with a stoney minerality and rich textures in the mouth. The Seven Springs Dijon clone Chardonnays have a Puligny-like charactor: sweet fruit and spice with great length. They are both a huge qualitative improvement over the old clones.
Freedom Hill Chardonnay has mineral aromas remind me of granite and marble. Intermixed are aromas of ripe citrus, pineapple, and pear. Soft, graceful, and very pretty in the mouth, it reminds me of well made Maconais Chardonnays. Match this wine with shellfish, roasted birds, and cheeses."
I struggled with the specific style for Freedom Hill Chardonnay until my visit to Burgundy and Chablis in 2003. There I tasted a grand cru Chablis fermented entirely in used barrels. The ripe fruit and intense minerality balanced perfectly with the lees component and textural enhancement derived from barrel fermentation. The lack of sweet, toasty components from the new wood meant that the minerality was able to show clearly in the wine. I finally feel that I have captured the terroir of Freedom Hill."
