Walter Scott has set the standard for Oregon Grand Cru Chardonnays. I've been humbled one too many times by tasting these in a blind lineup amongst Lafon, Roulot, and PYCM and been sure that it's one of these Burgundy greats in my glass, only to glimpse the unmistakable Walter Scott label's reveal.

For those who don't know, Ken and Erica Pahlow are the couple behind the Walter Scott label. Ken's long-standing annual harvest visits working alongside Dominique Lafon have left a mark. The couple's Chardonnays elicit Burgundy's mineral precision and noble reduction. Oyster shells, lemon zest, and mouth-watering salinity are at the forefront, but like Lafon's brilliant whites, these have that extra gear where fruit deepens and the richness picks up on your palate, and then on the finish, you're left with threads of finely crushed stones. It's the kind of combo that I've come to obsess over in Chardonnay, and these are the first whites I recommend when Burg-enthusiasts come calling.

X Novo is the vineyard that always captures my attention the most from Ken and Erica, but more recently, their Koosah & Lucille bottlings have come to compete in my eyes. Lucille hails from the oldest vines on the Freedom Hill vineyard, where Ken began working in 1995. Both wines offer the weightlessness that's a prerequisite for being mentioned alongside the Burgundy legends above. 

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