Sometimes you taste a wine that truly takes your breath away, so much so that time almost stops, and every sense of your being is focused on just how amazing its flavor is.

We had one of those experiences last week when tasting the 2022 Granville Chardonnay from Koosah Vineyard, a wine that rivals the top Grand Cru of Chablis in terms of freshness, acidity, minerality, and grace.

This is not your buttery, oaky, over-extracted California Chardonnay. This is an up-and-coming label that we think could soon rival some of the best expressions of the Santa Rita Hills in terms of its character and depth. In fact, we’re so over the moon about it, we felt the need to send you this email!

Limited in quantity and absolutely microscopic in terms of production, Granville is a family-owned winery located in Oregon's Willamette Valley, focusing on high-elevation vineyards in the Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills appellations. Founded by Jackson and Ayla Holstein, Granville grows and sources grapes from vineyards farmed with organic and biodynamic standards, thriving on volcanic soils.

The fruit they harvest from Koosah Vineyard is some of the most precious in the entire country. Sitting atop the Eola-Amity Hills, it’s also one of the highest and steepest vineyards in the Willamette Valley. As a result, the cost of harvesting these grapes is set at a premium.

93 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2022 Chardonnay Koosah Vineyard bursts from the glass with a vibrant array of citrus zest, crushed rocks and sage. This mixes savory and sweet, with ripe nectarine and hints of sour melon catapulted forward by zesty acidity atop a framework of salty minerals. Despite its intensity and girth, the 2022 finishes wildly fresh and long, with a staining of lemony concentration and spice. The high-elevation fruit of Koosah Vineyard is on full display in this young and electric Chardonnay.