2015 Panther Creek Cellars Chardonnay French Creek Vineyard Columbia Valley 750 ml

Chardonnay Stunner from the PNW

On a recent trip to the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Auction, we got exactly what we expected—copious amounts of incredible, expressive Pinot—but at the end of the day, our favorite wine was a white: the 2015 Panther Creek French Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, a rich, apple-scented, under-the-radar stunner that will thrill any white wine lover looking for Premier Cru-type complexity under $40.

Winemaker Tony Rynders, the man behind this stunning single-vineyard white, was the head of winemaking at Oregon’s famed Domaine Serene for ten years and was responsible for Domaine Serene’s smashing success: During his decade at the winery, he racked up more 90+-point scores from Wine Spectator than any other winemaker—not just in Oregon, not just in the U.S., but in the world.

Sourced from one of the most historic Chardonnay vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA, this Chardonnay boasts fresh green apple, quince, and a buttery texture, with generous vanilla, clove, and sweet spice notes. On a Pacific Northwest weekend that was filled with copious amounts of Pinot Noir, this fantastic Chardonnay was such a surprise smash that we wouldn’t leave without an allocation!

The standards at Panther Creek Cellars have been sky-high from day one: The winery was founded by Ken Wright, the Oregon legend who pioneered single-vineyard bottlings and whose name now stands as one of the most famous in Willamette Valley. So when Panther Creek’s current owners took the reins in 2013, they knew where the bar was—and their first call was to a winemaker they were sure could clear it: Tony Rynders, the man who had guided Domaine Serene, perhaps Oregon’s best-known winery, to the top.

Panther Creek has a long history of sourcing from the top vineyards in the Northwest, so it’s no surprise that they tapped French Creek Vineyard, which was planted in the cross-border (Oregon/Washington) Columbia Valley AVA in 1981. It one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the region, and still boasts some original rows of non-grafted Wente clones. Planted on a gentle south-facing slope, French Creek lies where the combination of the sun and the cool breezes produce perfectly ripe Chardonnay that balances ripe, juicy flavors and mouthwatering freshness.

With that type of fruit in the hands of Tony Rynders, the result is predictable: A Chardonnay stunner that—dare we say it?—stole a little bit of the spotlight on a weekend dedicated to Pinot. It was the surprise smash hit of our trip to the Northwest, and we are thrilled to bring it back to you.