The 2018 vintage is the third in a trio of great Willamette Valley vintages. The wines are defined by a layered, complex nature, with ripe fruit flavors, great acidity, modest alcohols, fine tannins, and a precise expression of terroir. When they were young we were consistently struck by the clear delineations between the vineyards, the old-world elegance and light-footed nature of the wines. Currently(Aug 2024) they seem to mostly have shifted into a closed down phase, but this is a vintage with magnificent cellaring potential, and we are looking forward to checking in on them again around 2027-2030, with continued aging potential well after.
For Chardonnays, the 2018 Durant is in a wonderful place right now, but should drink well for the rest of the decade. The Whistling Ridge and Richard’s are just a bit quieter right now(as one would expect), but drink very well with time open. However, I feel like they will continue to improve for at least 5-10 years. Both AVA bottlings are drinking very well, but seem to me that they will improve over the next few years as well.
The Whistling Ridge Blanc should drink very well from now until at least 2028.