Tim Malone earned his chops in the Willamette Valley as an assistant winemaker at both Cameron and J. Cristopher before branching out to create his eponymous label. A talented maker of both red and white wines, his Pinot Noirs are noteworthy for their balance, finesse and approachability upon release.

While we have been exposed to his humble approach to pricing based on his own assessment of his wines enough times to not be surprised by it, his 2022 Willamette Valley Chardonnay goes beyond the usual Tim Malone pricing gymnastics. Tim prefers a nuanced touch of new oak in all of his wines, a preference which requires him to break in new barrels on lower end cuvees. In the case of his 2022 Chardonnay, he used this entry level cuvee to season many of his new barrels, making this cuvee 50% new oak. While this may not be Tim's preferred style for Chardonnay, it is impeccably made, and very much an objectively excellent rendition of a local oaked chard. Bright meyer lemon fruit and tangerine zest flavors, along with bright, fresh acidity, are balanced nicely by a rich, creamy texture, and flavors of vanilla bean, nutmeg and allspice. Prices for wines of this style and quality typically start at $40, we are thrilled to be able to offer it for $25.