94 Points -
Shifting momentarily to Oregon, the 2023 Chardonnay Warrior Princess Block is from the Eola-Amity Hills within the Willamette Valley. This was a very different vintage in this region compared to Sonoma and can be broadly categorized as a warm to hot vintage compared to the more cool-vintage character of the 2023s from Sonoma. A brighty yellow/green-toned hue, the nose of this wine is ripe but has great focus, with notes of lime cordial, white pepper, wet stones, and green apples. The palate is medium-bodied, with an elegant, floating feel, an even texture, and a clean, tapering finish. A lovely wine, it’s fantastic now and should age gracefully over the next 6-8 years. I am a huge fan of Oregon Chardonnay, and for my taste, I would stash this away and drink it on a regular basis.- Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com, July 2025
Tasting Notes
The wine has hints of lemongrass, pink grapefruit, quince, and wet stones. The wines' flavors follow with citrus, tamarind, exotic fruits and a lively, textural finish.
Historic Acclaim
2022: 97 Points, L.P.-B, The Wine Independent, April 2024
2021: 94 Points, E.B., The Wine Advocate, October 2024
Vineyard & Vintage Character
The 2023 Warrior Princess Chardonnay is sourced from the Eola-Amity Hills in the Willamette Valley, coming from the renowned Zena Crown Vineyard. The site is situated near the Oregon ghost town of Zena, in the hills between Eola and Amity, Oregon. Our block, planted in 2014 is Dijon Clone 95.
The soils are predominantly basalt-based Nekia series, which is volcanic in origin, mixed with marine sedimentary rocks and alluvial material. This soil tends to produce Chardonnay wines characterized by firm structure and minerality. The Van Duzer corridor enables the grapes to retain great acidity during ripening, as this corridor allows cool afternoon breezes to reach the Eola-Amity Hills from the Pacific Ocean.
Wine Details
Oak: 100% French oak; 3% new
Time in oak: 15 months
Yeast: Native
Clones: Dijon 95
TA: 6.0 g / L
pH: 3.14
Alcohol: 13.1%
Cases produced: 75 cases
Unfined and Unfiltered