Pictured from left to right: Claudia Knudsen, David Knudsen, Nate Klostermann, Colin Knudsen, Peter Knudsen, Page Knudsen Cowles, Jay Cowles.
We celebrated a signature moment this month when we blended Knudsen Vineyards Chardonnay from the 2019 vintage under the eaves of historic “Oregon Bonded Winery No. 52”, the first commercial scale bonded winery in the Dundee Hills, originally established in 1976 as Knudsen Erath Winery.
Beginning with the 2012 vintage return-to-winemaking under the Knudsen Vineyards label, our wines have been blended in the lab and produced at the Argyle Winery facility in Newberg, Oregon. Given this year’s many concerns due to COVID, the tasting and blending process was relocated to the open-air breezeway on our winery property at Knudsen Vineyard.
Winemaker Nate Klostermann led us through blending two styles of Chardonnay. First, we tasted wines fermented in individual lots from the vineyard. Then, we selected the blend for the limited production Knudsen Vineyards 2019 Founders Series JLK Chardonnay, followed by the blend for our 2019 Family Series Chardonnay. Finally, we decided on the percentage of new French oak to add that would best complement the qualities of the fruit in each wine.
In our vineyard we have planted three unique clones of Chardonnay – French Dijon clone 76, 95 and 96 – and I find it amazing how each possesses an individual personality, distinct from one another by definition and as a result of vintage variation. We very much look forward to the release of the wines from 2019, an incredible year for our Chardonnay.
In the meantime, our 2018 vintage and inaugural release of the Founders Series JLK Chardonnay will be released next summer. Only 50 cases were produced, and are reserved exclusively for our founding Family Roots Wine Club members.
Page Knudsen Cowles
Owner & Managing Partner
