The Data

Country   USA

Appellation   Rogue Valley

Varietal   Chardonnay

Retail Price   $46

ABV   13.6%

Score   4 Stars/92 points

In the Glass

Slightly hazy, medium golden color.

The aromatics are intense, offering scents of brioche, blanched almonds, and lemon curd with supporting notes of apple, kumquat, and hints of candied ginger.

The palate echoes the nose delivering a tropical fruits-driven core with flavors of white peach, star fruit, lychee, and meringue. The finish is long and lingering with hints of citrus.

Medium to full-bodied and perfectly balanced with a supple texture.

Cool Factor

We love Chardonnay made in a climate and soils that bring out the best that this famous grape can be. 2Hawk delivers with their Rouge Valley Chardonnay — very cool.

Value Grade

At $46 this is not likely your Tuesday night wine but it is worthy of a good weekend meal especially if you cellar this wine for another five years plus.

Analysis

The Darow Series is 2Hawk's reserve-tier of wines. Oregon’s Rouge Valley is a fantastic AVA for a number of white and red varietals. 2Hawk lies in an area known as the Bear Creek sub-basin. Cool climate loving Chardonnay can fully express itself here. The bookend months of the vintage saw February rains with a near record cool in October. The harvest took place October 1 through 10. The Chardonnay was rested for 13 months sur lies in French oak. Thirty-percent were new barrels with the remainder being made up of two and three-year old barrels, as well as neutral barrels. Finally the barrels were married and mingled in stainless steel for another three months prior to bottling in March of 2021. The resulting wine is rich and supple while amazingly vibrant and complex. This Chardonnay has real aging potential.

How to Enjoy

Serve chilled but not overly chilled as this will mute the subtle flavors — Pair with your favorite shellfish preparation.