2023 Solena Estate Chardonnay Willamette Valley 750 ml

On our last visit to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Chardonnay was the first word out of every winemaker’s mouth—and Laurent Montalieu’s 2023 Soléna shows what all the excitement was about. 

Montalieu has become a member-favorite by delivering our best-selling Pinot Noir—across all categories—year after year. Now he’s turned his Midas touch to Chardonnay, and his 2023 sits between Burgundy and cool-climate California in its style, with plenty of mouthwateringly zippy fruit. With 93-point Editors’ Choice honors from Wine Enthusiast, this is going to thrill anyone who loves Meursault. It’s hard to think of anything in Burgundy that can touch it for value.

During our visit with Laurent, he declared the secret to his success at this price point was simple: “We farm over 1,000 acres!” This control from start to finish allows him to fine-tune everything from pruning to harvest with the goal of producing a superior finished product.

Over his three decades in Oregon, he’s put together an impressive collection of vineyards, including the 80-acre Soléna estate, Domaine Danielle Laurent in Yamhill-Carlton, and the Hyland Vineyard in McMinnville, one of Oregon’s most storied sites. That access to prime Willamette Valley fruit gives Montalieu an unmatched ability to deliver stunning wines at bargain prices. For nearly any other producer, the grapes that go into this bottle would be marked for single-vineyard bottles—and sell for twice the price.

Aged entirely in French oak for texture—but with only 15% new wood, to make sure that any flavor impact is subtle—Laurent’s Soléna Estate Chardonnay captures the combination of power and grace that’s making the world talk about Willamette Valley Chardonnay.