Hello! Welcome!

It means so much to me that you took the time to subscribe to this wine club and, more importantly, chose to spend your hard earned money with us. I have plans that will take us to some far flung places in the Wide World of Wine and some truly exciting exclusive wine offers in the works, but I wanted to kick off the first club release with two grapes we all think we know: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, through unique, atypical lenses.

I wanted to introduce myself and this project by saying that this Wide World of Wine, no matter how much we think we know, will never cease to surprise us and turn our preconceived notions on their heads—if we just pay attention and keep an open palate.

The Gist on the Wines

The first wine is Chardonnay hailing from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The Willamette Valley is a place we all think of for world class Pinot Noir, yet every winemaker I've met won't stop talking about their potential for Chardonnay. It took me a while, but I've finally seen the light, except that a lot of their Chardonnay is too serious, too age worthy. I recognize its quality, but am I drinking it tonight with my roast chicken? Absolutely not. Enter Kelley Fox and her Durant Vineyard "Lark Block" Chardonnay. It is a single vineyard, single parcel Chardonnay fermented in concrete (this is not an attack on oak, but her best expression of the vineyard site). It tastes like everything 1er cru Chablis wants to be. Read on below for more.

The second wine is Cabernet Sauvignon hailing, from, yes, California, but from Santa Barbara County, not Napa or Sonoma. The wine is from Star Lane Vineyards. They quietly make one of the best American Cabernet Sauvignons going right now, and that quality judgement only gets better when you realize that it is under $100 (and even less for you!). Napa winemakers often pay lip service to Bordeaux, but there is no mistaking that Napa fruit when you taste the wines. Star Lane, for me, best straddles those two worlds, combining those Old World savory elements that add complexity with perfectly, just ripe New World fruit. This is a wine that can be enjoyed now with a brief decant, or cellared for 10 years. Read on below for more.

The Details on the Wines

Kelley Fox Wines, Chardonnay, Durant Vineyard, "Lark Block," Willamette Valley, Oregon (2023)

Kelley Fox Wines is a small winery in the Willamette Valley that she created in 2007 along with her father, Gerson “Gus” Stearns. Her first vintage started with just over 100 cases. The annual case production is now around a still scant 5500 cases, from some of the most historic and iconic vineyards in the valley. She earned dual degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from Oregon State University and was admitted to their PhD program in Biochemistry before changing paths to pursue winemaking, which she has done full-time since 2000. She wanted to learn winemaking not from a classroom, textbooks or from working in other regions, but directly from Oregon winemakers who had put in some serious time. Her winemaking experience includes Torii Mor, Hamacher, The Eyrie Vineyards, and ten years as winemaker at Scott Paul Wines (August 2005 to about mid-April 2015). Since then, she has worked for her own winery exclusively.

The historic Durant Vineyard was planted in 1973 by the Durant family, who continue to both live there and farm there. Durant Vineyard is on the southern slopes of the classic Dundee Hills AVA, neighboring Domaine Drouhin. The Lark Block, the source of this Chardonnay, is from a block of vines planted on a small parcel of unusual ancient marine soil in 1991. The Lark Block is planted to Dijon 96, known in Burgundy for producing nervy, finely balanced, and elegant Chardonnay. Just across the gravel road from the Lark Block is their olive orchard. Kelley loves working with flower essences and with vines bordering trees. The olive flower essence is cited to “bring peace, regeneration, and restored balance” to the weary and exhausted.

Kelley says her wines are "[M]ade to reflect the land, the vines, the fruit of the vines, the year, and everything else unknown and unseen that comes with those things. They are Oregon wines, and hopefully, they are wines specifically of their vineyards." I think she achieves this in spades with the 2023 Durant Vineyard "Lark Block" Chardonnay. It was matured in concrete amphorae,  and is pure, energetic and reminiscent of Chablis. It has aromas of yellow apples, quince, toast, and oyster shell. The palate is electric, with just enough creamy texture and weight, with a very long, salty finish. 551 cases were made.

Star Lane Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Happy Canyon AVA, Santa Barbara County, California (2020)

Jim Dierberg bought Star Lane in 1996, 11 years before the Santa Barbara County pocket in which it sits was recognized officially as the Happy Canyon AVA and touted as a unique location for growing world-class Bordeaux grapes. The 8,000-acre estate straddles a canyon at the easternmost edges of the Santa Ynez Valley, right up against the Los Padres National Forest, with rolling terrain that stretches as far as the eye can see. Today, about 120 acres are planted to grapes like Merlot and Malbec and with a square focus on Cabernet. These grow on the top two thirds of the vineyard, where calcium-carbonate soils prevail. Sauvignon Blanc flourishes in the  lower third. The wines they create, with winemaker Tyler Thomas at the helm, garner top-tier scores and widespread international acclaim, especially the Cabernet. Before taking the helm at Star Lane Vineyard, Tyler apprenticed with Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti fame at the HdV project in Napa. Tyler brings a minimalist approach to crafting wines of great depth from the estate vineyard.

Tyler says of the 2020 vintage, "“We are thrilled with our 2020 Happy Canyon wines. While we had some trepidation due to two historic heat spells, grapevines provided inspiration for us all by demonstrating their resiliency. Good wine can always be found in challenging years. In fact, 2020 turned out to be an exceptional year for Bordelaise varietals in Happy Canyon and the single vineyard tucked into a cooler part of the eastern region demonstrated its class." The 2020 blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 77%; Cab Franc 12%; Petite Verdot 6%; Merlot 5%. Cedar, tobacco, and incense mingle with ripe currants, black cherries, lead pencil, black olive, and subtle herbal and floral notes, all supported by well-integrated oak, a medium-to-full body, polished tannins, and a long, refined finish.