What It Takes To Make World Class Chardonnay

New wines from Morgen Long, JL Wood and – finally! – a delicious non-alcoholic sparkler

An unexpected development in my long standing interest in wine has come about recently as a direct result of writing on Substack. Along with the work I do for my own posts, I have accumulated a growing number of subscriptions to wine-related Substacks that are consistently excellent. And I’ve come to conclude that all the years I wrote for newspapers and magazines focused my attention on consumer trends and news impacting the wine trade (importers, distributors and retailers), while ignoring the geekier side of winemaking. The viticulture, the chemistry, the evolving processes ushering grape juice from vine to bottle held less interest. But thanks to brilliant writers such as my friend George Nordahl (Down The Rabbit Hole) I am becoming more and more fascinated with deep dives into the minutiae.

An email from Seth Morgen Long further sparked my interest. I’d known of his reputation for brilliant Chardonnays, and had intended to reach out to him when this note arrived:

“Hello Paul, my name is Seth Morgen Long and I’m the sole proprietor owner operator of Morgen Long. I would like to ship you some samples of my wines. A short history. In 2014, after doing seven harvests in five years on three continents - the last two in Meursault - I founded Morgen Long with one idea, to focus exclusively on Willamette Valley Chardonnay. Relying on long term contracts with great farmers, my work in the winery is to create wines of grape, time and place; wines with aromatic intensity, depth of flavor; wines with vibrant acidity, texture, density, power; wines that age. I frame the wines with well integrated oak of the highest quality.”

PG: Once the wines arrived I spent the better part of a full week exploring them, and my extended tastings more than confirmed his reputation as one of Oregon’s most talented winemakers. His detailed technical backgrounders for each wine provide a tsunami of information. I wanted even more. So I asked him if he’d be willing to take one example and break it down with further explanation to educate me and hopefully any interested readers. In other words, to explore in depth the creative thinking behind the technical skills.

We chose his 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay (reviewed below) as the example. Along with the winemaking I thought the challenges of blending so many different vineyards would be an interesting topic. Here’s Seth’s original backgrounder, followed by his further commentary.

Vineyards: 100% Willamette Valley Chardonnay from eight vineyards planted between 1984-2019

•36% Blue Heron Farm, Willamette Valley, South Salem Hills, hand-picked 9/20/23

•24% Durant Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, hand-picked 9/6/23 & 9/11/23

•9% von Oehsen Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/11/23

•9% Yamhill Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton, hand-picked 9/16/23

•8% Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/18/23 & 9/19/23

•6% Temperance Hill Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/21/23

•5% Witness Tree Vineyard, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/7/23

•3% X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola Amity Hills, hand-picked 9/15/23 & 9/22/23

Vintage: The 2023 growing season began cool and wet, with late April bringing warmth and dry conditions. Bud break occurred in early to mid-May, followed by bloom in early to mid-June. Fruit set was typical and the vines thrived over a hot and dry July and August. Cooler days and chilly nights arrived in September, with scattered showers that refreshed the vines. Harvest began leisurely with four picks between 9/6 - 9/11. The pace quickened with eight picks between 9/15 - 9/22. Yields were average, and the overall chemistry was good to great. I crushed each lot into the press and extracted more the later the pick. I browned most of the must 6-24 hours before sulfur addition.

Vineyard specific pied de cuve [natural yeast culture] was used to initiate fermentation in steel before transferring the must to oak with full solids. In select lots, I added sulfur after fermentation started. Ambient yeasts were highly effective as most lots were bone dry within 10-25 days. More than half of the cellar completed ambient malolactic in November or December 2023. The remainder finished malolactic between April and July 2024 with much more reduction. The wines were blended in steel the last week of August 2024 for a second winter on lees in steel and racked clean in late January 2025. The 2023 vintage has exceptional pedigree and clear site expression. The wines have high acidity, alcohol ranging 12.4%-13.1%. They are beautifully aromatic, crystalline, coiled, full of dry extract, long and structured.

Vinification: A blend of the cellar, each lot was crushed into the press and browned in steel before sulfur. Primary fermentations began with ambient pied de cuve in steel or in barrel, completing in French oak with full solids. The final blend was made after twelve months in a cold cellar from 20% new barrel, 35% once filled puncheon, 25% twice filled puncheon, 20% fourth fill puncheon. The 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay aged an additional six months in stainless steel on lees. Full malolactic, minimal stirring. No fining or filtration. Closed with 49mm DIAM 10.

PG: I think we can all agree that’s a ton of detail. But what does it mean? What’s the thinking behind the process? What’s the purpose and the payoff?

SML: “Here is a deep dive into my vinification techniques. I don’t make my wines that differently from one another - all of the vineyards are treated as if they could be single vineyard bottlings, even if the site is contracted solely for the Willamette Valley program.

“As I begin to check maturity in vineyards, I save the juice from my vineyard visits in labeled glass mason jars. As these begin to ferment with ambient yeasts, I have vineyard specific pied de cuve ready to use to ‘inculcate’ lots once I have picked and pressed. This is just a simple and intuitive choice. It is a bit of extra work but like many things in my business and winery, I prefer it happens the right way.

“I always crush whole clusters into the press because it increases the total juice yield and widens the spectrum of the chemistry of the must - I achieve a significant proportion of the juice yield very quickly (the heart) and it tends to have a lower pH and higher TA, while the end of the pressing (the phenol) has a higher pH and lower TA. I can choose to keep the must as one lot, or cut to separate the press fractions. I most often separate the heart from the phenol so that while I brown the heart, the phenol can get inoculated with vineyards specific pied de cuve. Because crushed fruit yields so well so quickly, it allows more of the time in the press for phenolic extraction, and it also increases the ratio of solids to must, which I want to utilize for the entirety of élévage.

“The early picks are sites which tend to be warmer and precocious, with pH and sugar moving quicker than flavors and phenolics. While I expect a bit less from early picks, often juice yields are still very good. I adjust the press cycle by lengthening drain times, especially at the lowest pressure steps and I do not crumble in between steps. There is typically less new oak and a reliance on larger puncheons for the early picks.

The sites which hang longer are most often closer to the van Duzer Corridor, and tend to have lower pH, higher TA with similar sugars, and present more and better solids and phenolics to extract. Press cycles are adjusted and extended towards the middle and end of harvest; I will add extra pressure steps, drain time and crumble [breaking up the must cake] between steps. There is typically much more new oak used for these lots, and a preference for barrels and smaller puncheons with thicker staves.

“I always brown the must for 6-24 hours, sometimes longer. During browning, polyphenol oxidase, a naturally occurring enzyme, both oxidizes and polymerizes fragile phenolics, thereby limiting what may oxidize later, while also reducing bitterness and astringency. After this period of browning, I’ll sulfur the heart whereas the phenol is always allowed to start fermenting with pied de cuve. I do this to reduce useless wild yeasts competing with the saccharomyces cerevisiae which is in the pied de cuve and to knock back any precocious malolactic bacteria.

“Primary fermentations occur on full solids in a reductive environment. The cellar is warmed for a month, then cools off for the remainder of élévage. I value how much the solids contribute to the quality of fermentations and character of the wines. I rarely stir lees as the cellar is very often bone dry in 30-45 days and I want the lees compacting. Furthermore, it is an oxidative technique which tends to homogenize distinctive characteristics of each barrel and lot. If there is density and weight, texture and power, I prefer it to come from the farming, the pressing, and élévage, rather than from bâtonnage. Malolactic typically engages between the late fall and early spring, and completes at its own pace.

“Sulfur additions after malolactic completes are strong concentrations made less frequently. I find my wines readily equilibrate sulfur adds which mean they only need minimal adjustments, if any, prior to bottling.

“My wines are in French oak on full solids for about a year before being gas racked [rather than pumped] to steel with solids. At 16.5 to 17 months, the wines are racked off lees 4-6 weeks before bottling. I rarely fine or filter.”

PG: I can’t say thank you loud enough to Seth for taking the time to share his process in such detail. I never fail to be amazed at the intricacies of winemaking at the highest level, though you often hear winemakers say that their job is to do as little as possible and let the grapes make wine. But the amount of time, effort and creative judgment that goes into one particular blend from one specific grape and vintage absolutely boggles the mind.

In a moment a peek into the vineyard side of making outstanding Chardonnay, from a long time grower in an under-the-radar AVA. But first, here are my notes on the Morgen Long wines.

Morgen Long 2022 Temperance Hill Vineyard Chardonnay – This is a textbook example of perfect balance. Every component is set against every other component – fruit, acid, ambient (wild) yeasts, no new wood. Clean apple fruit is accented with hints of green banana. Mouth-filling texture and a captivating mouthfeel bring it through a satisfying finish. 52 full/75 half cases; 13%; $129 (Eola Amity Hills) 94/100

Morgen Long 2022 Willamette Valley Chardonnay – This blends fruit from seven different sites into a richly fruity, fully satisfying wine. There’s a clear Willamette Valley signature on the best Chardonnays, a tangle of juicy citrus, tangerine and peach, buoyed by sappy acids and finishing with great texture and length. There is an indefinable subtlety to all these Chardonnays that extends the flavors and keeps adding details. Winery notes on the barrels for this blend: 28% new, 33% once-fill, 45% third and fourth fill and 8% steel. 426 full/175 half cases; 12.9%; $59 (Willamette Valley) 95/100

Morgen Long 2022 Eola Amity Hills Chardonnay – Sourced from Seven Springs and X-Omni vineyards, an unparalleled matchup from this Chardonnay-driven AVA, this has a deep candied lemon core that gives it a sweet/sour balance. If you love lemon drop candy – not too sweet, but with fruit sweetness balancing out the tart acids – this is that and a lot more. Dense, structured and resonating with electric freshness, this keeps going past even a small sip adding hints of salinity for a minute or more. 160 full/308 half cases; 12.9%; $119 (Eola Amity Hills) 96/100

Morgen Long 2022 X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay – If I were asked to name Grand Cru Chardonnay vineyards in Oregon X Omni and X Novo would top the list. The standout superpower is texture. Given that everything is ripe, balanced and proportionate, what exemplifies this wine and this vineyard is texture. That said, it’s not automatic. It takes a talented hand at the wheel and sophisticated management from picking through bottling to pull it all together. If you expect to finish this bottle in one sitting, be sure to decant. If not, rest assured it will continue to drink beautifully after 24 and 48 hours. 160 full/309 half cases; 12.8%; $149 (Eola Amity Hills) 97/100

Morgen Long 2023 Black Label Chardonnay – This value bottle comes with all the pedigree that has elevated Morgen Long to near cult status. A blend of grapes from a half dozen vineyards, including some of the designates, all fermented separately in neutral oak and stainless steel. Clean and crisp, with a mix of ripe citrus, apple and pear fruit, this is a medium-weight wine with the balance to drink immediately. 310 full cases; 12.7%; $35 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Morgen Long 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay – This is the wine described in full detail above. It’s a different mix of vineyards from the Black Label, eight in all, the majority Blue Heron Farm and Durant. “A blend of the cellar” is how the winemaker names it; tasted alongside the Black Label and the ’22 Willamette Valley cuvée this rocks with purity, presence, minerality, freshness and crisp, immaculate fruit. It’s good management to keep everything clean and clear when doing a single vineyard cuvée, but when you’re balancing so many different ferments from so many different sites it’s absolute artistry. 534 full/600 half cases; 12.5%; $54 (Willamette Valley) 96/100

Morgen Long 2023 Temperance Hill Vineyard Chardonnay – There’s a pleasant whiff of cannabis lending pungency to the nose. Tight and wiry, this leads with its savory side, a mix of dried herbs and citrus rind flavors. Green melon, apple and light touches of buttery malolactic acids follow as the wine warms in the glass. A long finish promises a long life ahead. 196 half cases; 13%; $119 (Eola-Amity Hills) 95/100

Morgen Long 2023 Eola Amity Hills Chardonnay – The sources changed from 2022 – this vintage it’s Koosah, Witness Tree, Temperance Hill and a splash of X Omni. Separately barrel fermented prior to blending in steel. Both of the Eola Amity Hills blends are exemplary examples of the power and precision of this Chardonnay-friendly AVA, and here the choice of vineyards amps up the quality to the highest level. Sweet/tart lime jumps out, Meyer lemon, pineapple… with leesy texture as the flavors unfold through a lingering finish. Fresh and immaculate, this is a Chardonnay that should be tasted immediately and again every year or two over the course of its further development. 200 half cases; 12.8%; $99 (Eola Amity Hills) 95/100

Morgen Long 2023 Koosah Vineyard Chardonnay – Koosah is a Résonance vineyard, also made as a vineyard select for Walter Scott, and a component in at least one Evesham Wood blend. Recently re-planted, it’s already notable for wines of palate-piercing minerality, density and depth of flavor. This full-bodied wine is loaded with ripe citrus fruits backed with chalky salinity. As it trails out there’s a touch of unsalted peanuts. 410 half cases; 13%; $89 (Eola Amity Hills) 96/100

Morgen Long 2023 X Omni Vineyard Chardonnay – Notes from the winemaker: “Candied ginger, lemongrass, jasmine, smoke, flint, Meyer lemon curd, Kaffir lime leaf, pineapple oil”. With a wine this good, dense and detailed, it’s not hard to follow the cues. Honestly I don’t have much to add. This is a complete, delicious, palate-soaking, textured, detailed and yet refined expression of the finest Oregon Chardonnay. World class. Fully loaded palate, perfect balance and detail, lovely minerality, impressive length and youthful pizzazz. Drink now and over the next two or more decades. 600 half cases; 12.8%; $139 (Eola-Amity Hills) 98/100

When I opened up my tastings to include wines from beyond the borders of the Pacific Northwest it was so that more meaningful comparisons and contrasts could be made. A perfect opportunity came when wine journalist/marketing consultant Alan Goldfarb wrote to ask if I’d be interested in exploring some small batch Chardonnays from a client in California.

JL Wood has been growing Chardonnay exclusively in its 125-acre vineyard since the late 1990s, selling to Duckhorn and Jackson Family among other A-list clients. Only recently owners Paul and Carol Morrison, whose family has farmed the land for over a century, began making wines under the JL Wood label.

As noted on their website, the wines are sold direct to consumers to keep costs down. They are minimally processed – no concentrates, coloring agents, or sugars are added to the wines, and the use of sulfites is minimal.

Carol Morrison, whose family has lived on and worked this land for almost 120 years, writes that “the combination of climate and soils consistently create the right conditions for wonderful Chardonnay. When my husband and I took over, the vision was to work this land, using sustainable methods, for another 100 years. It is important for you to know that we do not use glyphosate in our vineyards and haven’t for years.”

Paul Morrison notes that “given our location, the climate and soils are ideal for either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. We had decided years ago that Pinot may become too plentiful in our area and frankly, it has. And we prefer white wines.

“From a climate perspective, we are far enough down the Salinas Valley to enjoy the cooling effects of the ocean. However, we also are inland just enough to benefit from heat retention in our area. So, in actual fact, our vines start to bud early and, later in the year, because of strong coastal breezes that occur in the summer, the plants are encouraged to slowly pace their development of fruit. That gives good ‘hang time’ to further develop flavors. As a comparison, our harvest dates are usually six to 8 weeks after harvests in more interior areas of California.

“The soil is also a critical factor. It’s not a rich soil with deep top soils. Most of it was once the bottom of an inland sea or the site of a river delta from the adjacent mountains to the west. It’s very sandy with a high mineral content from ancient granites formed by coastal volcanoes. We think that these soils both moderate growth because of the lack of richness and encourage the vines to be very productive and focused on their fruit. An example: we occasionally hedge the top of our vines but rarely do the sides. The key variable in our area, because of summer heat spikes, is water. The plants stay active so long as water is plentiful. If we can achieve a minimum canopy of at least 28 inches from the cordon, we’ll have great fruit.

“Our flavors are driven by several factors. First, and very importantly, the bulk of our planted vines are clone 4 Chardonnay, well known for its ability to generate tropical fruit flavors. Second is our canopy management. Our goal is to ensure that clusters have minimal direct exposure to the sun, using a modified vertical trellis format. We allow our vines to flow to one side with the wind, towards the south, creating a shaded pocket. With our low humidity summer days this pocket helps keep berry skins supple and minimizes risks of micro-organism infection through dry skin cracks. Having the berries intact and in good condition minimizes any ‘off’ flavors that might detract from the natural flavors and aromas of Chardonnay.

“We harvest when we think flavors are at their peak, not to some imposed minimum standard of sugar content. Said another way we let the grapes tell us when they are ready. In some years we will have high sugars and alcohol. In others we will harvest much earlier. We think the ultimate driver of a customer’s perception of taste and aroma will be in the balance between alcohol, flavor and acidity. The latter is critical to perception of freshness. We do lab testing at least twice a week during the three weeks leading up to actual harvest. We’re very focused on ensuring that our perceptions from walking the vineyard and tasting the grapes are confirmed by objective measurements.”

PG: It was serendipity that brought two quite different Chardonnay specialists to my attention at the same time. Here are my notes on JL Wood.

JL Wood 2023 Classic Chardonnay – I take classic to indicate a style that includes some buttery malolactic flavors and a touch of new oak. The wine still shows some of the penetrating steely character of the Premier cuvée, but here it’s cloaked in smoother, softer accents. Along with the butter brickle comes lemon curd and a hint of spiced apples. It’s a lovely wine, balanced and long. 13.4%; $42 (Arroyo Seco) 92/100

JL Wood 2024 No-Oak Chardonnay – All stainless steel fermented, this proves that Chardonnay can be powerful, spicy, flavorful and compelling without any hint of oak. A tightly wound wine with lime and grapefruit front and center, it pushes into a resonating finish with appealing minerality. The length and detail are impressive. 13.9%; $28 (Arroyo Seco) 93/100

JL Wood 2023 Premier Chardonnay – Racy, lip-smacking acidity punches this into a tight, focused citrus fruit core. It’s a wine with such purity and zest it deserves to be called electric, as it sparks the palate into immediately wanting another sip. Spicy, pungent and powerful, with a lush array of lightly minty citrus fruits. Despite aging in 20% new oak, it could have fooled me into thinking 100% stainless. If you believe that all California Chardonnay is destined to be a fat, flabby, oaky fruit bomb think again. This Monterey county producer takes the grape in an entirely different direction. 14%; $34 (Arroyo Seco) 94/100

JL Wood 2024 Premier Chardonnay – Clear bottle and screwcap - a packaging change from past vintages. Young and pungent, with hints of wintergreen, this is not as punchy as the 2023, but that may just be a matter of needing more bottle age. This retains the same crisp, citrusy, high acid style, though there are suggestions of partial malolactic and the imprint of six months in (once-used?) oak barrels. The quality of the fruit is the strength of all these wines; JL Wood is a Chardonnay specialist and makes a strong case for doing one thing really well, albeit in a variety of styles. I’ve never abandoned Chardonnay as an important, versatile variety with world class examples. When done well, grown in the right place and treated with kid gloves it can be as expressive and detailed as any other white grape. 14%; $32 (Arroyo Seco) 93/100

MaraBela Sparkling Tea

I’ve been looking for some kind of non-alcohol product to recommend, but other than beer, I’ve come up short. Until now. MaraBela is an alcohol-free sparkling tea – certainly the first in my experience – and though it has nothing to do with wine, it is the best zero alcohol option I’ve ever tasted. MaraBela is the brainstorm of sister Ana and brother Jesús Martínez Bujanda, well-known to Walla Wallans as the head of Valdemar Estates. Brand new on the market is the first release – Wild Verbena. The key to this is it’s a delightful sparkling beverage, sealed like a traditional Champagne, but made with organic teas and botanicals, specifically Sencha green tea, Chun Mei green tea, white peony tea, lemon verbena and lavender.

It’s gluten free, vegan and has less caffeine than decaf coffee. “Elegance without alcohol and lightness without compromise” is the slogan, and it’s all that and much more. If you’re a tea drinker (as am I) you’ll be excited from the first sniff, redolent with a mix of herbal tea scents. If you enjoy a well-made sparkling wine with just a hint of sweetness – a very light and aromatic Prosecco, but here with zero alcohol – you’ll be thinking where can I get a case of this? Try it by the glass at the Royal Block in Waitsburg! $20/bottle.