Full Review

King Estate

King Estate
2021 Kennel Vineyard, Chardonnay, Willamette Valley

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Shellfish Turkey

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1% RS: .05%
Biodynamically Grown Grapes
92 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$58

King Estate
2021 Kennel Vineyard, Chardonnay, Willamette Valley

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Shellfish Turkey

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1% RS: .05%
Light yellow straw color. Aromas and flavors of vanilla cream, quince and cake batter, cloud berry, and green and yellow apple with a velvety, lively, dry medium body and a warming, intriguing, medium-length finish with accents of green apple, vanilla salt water taffy, poached spiced pear, and lemon zest and white flowers with a hint of baking spice with a suggestion of oak flavor. Excellent flavors and aromas that are of high quality and likely to improve with a decant or a year or two in cellar.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Crisp & Lively
Aroma Aroma: vanilla cream, quince and cake batter, cloud berry, and green and yellow apple
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of green apple, vanilla salt water taffy, poached spiced pear, and lemon zest and white flowers with a hint of baking spice
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry
Enjoy Enjoy: In 3-6 years on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Turkey, Roasted Chicken, Boiled Lobster
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Excellent flavors and aromas that are of high quality and likely to improve with a decant or a year or two in cellar.

The Producer

King Estate Winery

The Producer
80854 Territorial Hwy
Eugene, OR 97405
USA
1 541-942-9874

Their Portfolio

92 Inscription 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
88 Inscription 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
90 Inscription 2023 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $22.00.
92 King Estate 2021 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $22.00.
94 King Estate 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
92 King Estate 2018 Estate Grown Méthod Champenoise Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley 12.5% (USA) $40.00.
88 King Estate 2022 Rosé, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
92 King Estate 2018 Quintessence Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 14.5% (USA) $60.00.
89 King Estate 2018 Weinbau Vineyard, Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope 14.5% (USA) $54.00.
93 King Estate 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
92 King Estate 2022 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
86 King Estate 2022 Artisan Series, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
88 King Estate 2021 Estate Grown Domaine, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13% (USA) $28.00.
90 King Estate 2018 Bacchus Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14% (USA) $56.00.
88 King Estate 2017 Bacchus Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14.5% (USA) $56.00.
94 King Estate 2016 Bradshaw Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 14.1% (USA) $60.00.
92 King Estate 2016 Temperance Hill Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $70.00.
91 King Estate 2018 Weinbau Vineyard, Merlot, Wahluke Slope 15% (USA) $52.00.
88 King Estate 2018 Sonrisa Vineyard, Tempranillo, Columbia Valley 14% (USA) $50.00.
90 King Estate 2019 Quail Run Vineyards and Gold Vineyard White Blend, Rhone White Varietal Blend, Rogue Valley 14% (USA) $28.00.
88 King Estate 2018 Quail Run Vineyards White Blend, Rhone White Varietal Blend, Rogue Valley 14.5% (USA) $28.00.
88 King Estate 2019 Kennel Vineyard, Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 13% (USA) $50.00.
92 King Estate 2019 Four Nobles Cuvee Blanc, Willamette Valley 13% (USA) $30.00.
87 King Estate 2022 Artisan Series, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $29.00.
91 King Estate 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $30.00.
89 King Estate 2021 Domaine, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.0% (USA) $70.00.
92 King Estate 2022 Domaine, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $30.00.
88 King Estate 2019 Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley 12.5% (USA) $40.00.
92 King Estate 2023 Rosé, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
93 King Estate 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon 14.1% (USA) $20.00.
92 King Estate 2021 Kennel Vineyard, Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 14.1% (USA) $58.00.
89 King Estate 2022 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $25.00.
90 King Estate 2019 Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley 12.5% (USA) $40.00.
88 Next 2018 Red Blend, Columbia Valley 13.5% (USA) $13.00.
92 North By Northwest 2019 Red Blend, Columbia Valley 13.5% (USA) $14.00.
92 The Soldier 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14.5% (USA) $23.00.
88 The Soldier 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14.5% (USA) $23.00.

Chardonnay

Wine Glass White.jpg
Serve in a White Wine Glass
Chardonnay is arguably the world’s most famous white variety, thanks to its success in France’s Burgundy region as well as throughout much of California. Chardonnay on its own has rather straightforward, pleasant aromas of apple and pear, but when aged (and sometimes fermented) in small oak barrels, the wines take on extra richness as well as notes of toasted almond, vanilla and yeast.

The most renowned examples of Chardonnay are from small villages and vineyards in Burgundy, such as Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. These wines are very powerful with ample spicy notes and very good acidity; they age very well, sometimes as long as 20-25 years. Another part of Burgundy, Chablis, is home to more restrained style of Chardonnay. Certain areas of California, especially Russian River Valley in Sonoma and Santa Barbara County are also home to many distinguished examples of Chardonnay, with those from the latter region often displaying tropical fruit flavors.

Given that most Chardonnnays are aged in small oak barrels, there has been a movement as of late to give consumers a mored delicate style of Chardonnay, without all the spicy and toasty flavors. Thus there are now many producers that produce non-oak aged Chardonnays; this has been seen from many producers from Australia as well as a few in California as well.

Chardonnay, especially oak-aged versions, are quite rich and need seafood of equal richness at the dinner table. Thus lobster, halibut and swordfish are ideal food pairings.