2021 Chardonnay, Layne Vineyard - 750ml, 13.9%

I first met the Laynes shortly after I started at Troon in 2004. I remember the day I first visited the vineyard, which sat at the end of a long driveway, following the Caris Creek draw back into the hills above the Valley. Like many sites in the Applegate, you would never know that the vineyard existed, and yet, there it was, 35 acres of old vines, some of the very first planted in Southern Oregon. 

Roger and Barrie Layne moved to the Applegate from California in the early 1970’s. Barrie hailed from Napa, but her family owned a dairy there, not grapevines. However, on their first visit to the Applegate, they met Dick Troon, who, in 1972, had already planted 10 acres of grapevines. They decided to follow suit, and planted some of their own the following year, including Southern Oregon’s first Merlot vines.

As a winemaker at Troon, we made some of our very best and most popular wines from the Layne Vineyard, including the “Old Vine Meritage”, a Bordeaux blend from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It was the Old Merlot, the original vines planted at Layne, that held that blend together and was always one of my favorites. When that block became available in 2015, I was excited to have the chance to make it on its own. Not only is that block imbued with history, but it makes a wine with outstanding natural balance and character.

I always wanted to make it on its own, and so, in concert with the Laynes, we decided to produce it and label it under the “Layne Vineyard” label. We also produced a Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyard, which will be released later.

This is a substantive, structured wine, with a classic profile. Flavors include anise, plum, and mint jelly, and it maintains an acidic backbone which guarantees that it will hold well under further aging. For now, it will benefit from a decanting and a thick steak.