2014 was seen at the time as a very hot vintage, but carrying a large crop that helped mitigate the warmth a bit. It was a juicy and fruit forward vintage in its youth, the wines being much more light on their feet than the more structured 2015s. The vintage as a whole seems to be exiting a shut-down phase. The wines are still quite young, and show plenty of fruit. They can be a bit tight and lean on opening but open up after several hours to a full day of air, exhibiting tremendous potential for the coming few years as they unfold. The Bishop Creek bottling is best decanted for 20-40 minutes but tannins are resolved and the wine is expressive and beautiful. The Durant bottling is gaining weight and filling in, recommended service is opening in the morning and tasting for drinking at dinner. The Whistling Ridge bottling still wants time open, and I recommend opening the wine in the morning, but with time open it shows excellent depth, lots of layered nuance, and a nice savory balance to the fruit. (updated 8/2024)
Whites are tremendous, with the Chardonnays leading the way. The Richard's Cuvee is best open for 5-6 hours, and the Durant is in the early stages of a heightened plateau. These are world class wines, and have really grown into that and have been holding that status for several years now. The Willamette Valley Chardonnay is drinking well and compares favorably with white Burgundy several times it’s price. This wine continues to be a tremendous value and has lots of life left in it.
The 2014 Whistling Ridge Blanc is evolving texturally, showing exquisite fruit expression and should last a bit longer. That said, now is a great window for enjoying the wine.
updated 8/14/24