Both among Oregon wine Insiders and the press, Jim Maresh’s new Chardonnay project, Tan Fruit, has been generating huge excitement…and huge scores.
This 2021 vintage of their Cuvee Tan Fruit, with 97 points from the Wine Advocate, is the best to date – and either equals or outscores most of their more expensive bottlings. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine any other Chardonnay at only $44.99 being anywhere near this profound.
The Wine Advocate says:
The 2021 Chardonnay Cuvée Tan Fruit comes from Dijon vines in the Maresh Vineyard, planted on a south-facing slope in 1991, plus a number of other sources around Willamette Valley. Bottled a few months earlier than the other Tan Fruit Chardonnays, its savory aromas explode from the glass: a core of peachy fruit is streaked with touches of candle smoke, matchstick, pie crust and floral tones. Medium-bodied, seamless and satiny, it flows effortlessly through the mouth with both depth of flavor and freshness. It has a pleasing touch of grip to anchor the long finish and feels like it has more to give as it unwinds in bottle over the next several years.
These Tan Fruit Chardonnays have been (favorably) compared to grand cru Chablis – and this dazzling 2021 will definitely make you a believer.
