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Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
2012
$24.84
Chardonnay
United States
Oregon
Willamette Valley
750ml
N/A
Closest Match
2019
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Chardonnay
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Oregon
Willamette Valley
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More wines available from Bethel Heights
750ml
Bottle:
$27.69
The 2021 Chardonnay Estate features creamy lime panna cotta, green pear and smoky flint tones on the nose at this...
More Details
Winery
Bethel Heights
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Chardonnay
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Region: Oregon
The Oregon wine industry is continuing to go from strength to strength, with many of their Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir wines winning important international awards in recent years. Oregon has also become renowned as an important region for the production of organic and biodynamic wines, demonstrating the fact that the wineries which are dotted across the diverse regions of the state are keen to experiment with their methods and techniques. A wide range of grape varietals flourish in Oregon, including an impressive array of Old World classic grapes alongside American hybrid varietals. This, coupled with the cooler climate and the mix of traditional and excitingly modern wine production methods makes Oregon a fascinating region for wine lovers, particularly those looking for something unique and utterly delicious.
Country: United States
For three hundred years now, the United States has been leading the New World in wine production, both in regards to quantity and quality. Wine is actually produced in all fifty states across the country, with California leading the way by an enormous margin. Indeed, as much as eighty-nine percent of all wines to come out of the United States are produced in California, where the fertile soils and sloping mountain sides, coupled with the long, hot summers provide ideal conditions for producing high quality, European style red, white and rosé wines. With over a million acres of the country under vine, the United States sits comfortably as the fourth largest wine producer in the world, where imported grape varietals from all over the Old World are processed using a successful blend of traditional and contemporary techniques.
Appellation: Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley in Oregon may not be the most famous of the United States' wine regions, but it has a reputation for producing high quality wines which are the very essence of the land they are grown on, and it is consistently gaining international attention for its beautiful Pinot Noir wines. The wines of Willamette Valley are generally fruit-forward, elegant and lush, and full of the fine features of their terroir, making them a fascinating range of wines for lovers of New World produce. Whilst Pinot Noir is by far the most common grape grown in Willamette Valley, wineries of this region have a reputation for innovation and experimentation within viticultural circles, and are ever expanding their portfolios and experimenting with new varietals. As such, Willamette Valley is a highly interesting region to look into, with an impressive array of well crafted, delicious wines.