The wines of Carlton, Oregon’s Lemelson Vineyards speak for themselves—and have the accolades for their delicate, nuanced wines to back those speeches up. The winery design, however, couldn’t receive enough praise for its modern design that was light-years ahead of the green building movements of late. After finalizing plans in 1997, founder and managing owner Eric Lemelson put them into motion and completed his sustainable and forward-thinking winery in time for the 1999 harvest. In many ways the winery and vineyards are equipped with the tools to have a minimal footprint (from their certified-organic vineyards to the winery’s gravity flow processing and energy-efficient underground wine aging and barrel rooms) but the most impressive is the one-of-a-kind, mobile stainless steel sorting platform that stands on four massive steel legs and slides along a track that doubles as a drainage system for the fermentation room. Affectionately titled “The Spider,” this is one of the many “practical” designs for this “no compromise” sustainable winery.
From vine to bottle, gentle production is law and can be seen in the 2012 Reserve Chardonnay. Traits of this trade come through with the subtle complexities and balance of an often times bombastically produced varietal. Playing it smart in a warm vintage, Lemelson picked at two different times from the same vineyard to establish acid and lower alcohol but also express the ripeness of the year. Whole cluster pressed and fermented in French oak for 15 months (28 percent new, 72 percent neutral) then undergoing partial malolactic fermentation, this Chardonnay reveals a purity of red apple, Asian pear, honeysuckle and brioche aromas. The palate is plush as the nose gives way to, but with citrus vibrancy, texture and mineral to boot.
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