An outstanding Oregon house for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Lachini Vineyards has been producing consistently great wines over the past several years and continues to fly under the radar. With their estate in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, Lachini also has a tasting room in Woodinville as they produce a range of Pinot Noirs — even now crafting one from the ‘La Cruz Vineyard’ in Sonoma. At the helm is winemaker Liz Kelly-Campanale who joined Lachini Vineyards as Winemaker in 2019.
A fellow Whitman college graduate, she has been making wines in the Willamette Valley for a decade and was formerly assistant winemaker for Edgefield Winery. Originally from Santa Barbara, has s a winemaking degree from the Northwest Wine Studies Center and has crafted a gorgeous range of wines mainly from the 2018 vintage in Oregon that was warm and saw heat spikes during summer, ending with a cooler fall. I absolutely love the 2018 Lachini ‘Al Di La’ Chardonnay (WWB, 92) which has great depth and concentration with some serious aging potential. Even better was their 2018 Lachini ‘La Cruz Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which has a seamless texture and downright awesome terroir. Learn more about this great Oregon estate at lachinivineyards.com Here are the fantastic new release wines by Lachini Vineyards.
2019 Lachini Rose- Made from Pinot Noir grapes, the 2019 Lachini Rose shows orange zest that combines with lighter red fruits on the nose. The palate is fresh and vibrant with layers of red fruits that dance with copious minerals and a soft texture. This is a solid effort. Drink 2020-2024- 90
2018 Lachini ‘Al Di La’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘Al Di La’ Chardonnay is another really good effort from this estate. Buttery brioche combines with lemon zest, wet stone and wild mushroom tones on this seriously good nose. The palate is polished with wonderful richness and a seamless texture. The length here really gratifies. Gorgeous in its youth, the 2018 ‘Al Di La’ Chardonnay has a long life ahead of it as this beautifully showcases the warmth of the vintage. Drink 2020-2032- 92
2018 Lachini ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir is a really good effort from this warm vintage. Juicy red and dark fruits mingle with earthy undertones and wonderfully bright acidity. Seriously good right now in its youth, I can see this cellaring well for the next seven to ten years. Drink 2020-2027- 91
2018 Lachini ‘Cuvee Giselle’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Cuvee Giselle’ is a limited production Chehalem Mountains AVA bottling that was aged for fourteen months in roughly 50% new French oak prior to bottling. The palate has a light salinity that falls upon a great sense of volcanic earth, with light tannins and gobs of mouth-watering acidity and a pretty red fruit profile that makes this wine completely irresistible. Enjoy the 2018 ‘Cuvee Giselle’ over the next decade. Drink 2020-2032- 93
2018 Lachini ‘La Cruz Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- One of the unique bottlings in Oregon, this Pinot Noir was sourced from the ‘La Cruz Vineyard’ owned by Keller Estate Winery on a knoll overlooking the Petaluma Gap in Northern California.The vineyard has a massive martime influence from the Coastal range bordering Bodega Bay directly to the West. The blocks from which we sourced this Pinot noir are planted to varying soils & elevations (up to 700’ and down to 150’) on vertical trellis. The palate is soft, round and deeply gratifying as layers of bright red fruits collide with the seamless sense of texture and salty terroir. Showing great length and tension, this outstanding new wine will have a long life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2032- 93
2018 Lachini ‘Lachini Family Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2018 ‘Lachini Family Estate’ Pinot Noir is a gorgeous new bottling that has some seriously good aging potential. The Pinot Noir is entirely sourced from the 0East, Middle and West Blocks of their estate vineyard, featuring. Pommard, Wädenswil, Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, 777 and a 'suitcase clone' (L.T.)!!! clones. Once on the mouth the gorgeous sense of mouthfeel and lovely, pillowy texture really entices. Layers of cran-pomegranate, blood orange zest, peat moss and volcanic earth all entice. The combination of weight, texture and acidity all suggest that the 2018 ‘Lachini Family Estate’ will provide drinking enjoyment for decades to come. Drink 2020-2037- 94
2017 Lachini ‘La Bestia’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘La Bestia’ shows nice ripeness with a silky texture. Layers of rich roasted figs, blackberry cordial and sagebrush tones combine with lighter flinty and milk chocolate accents on the palate. With good length and texture, this beautiful wine will cellar well for the next decade or more. Drink 2020-2032- 92
2017 Lachini ‘La Contrada’ Red Wine- A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot, this shows sagebrush and smoky undertones with cocoa powder and ripe dark fruits on the nose. The palate is rich, with polished tannins that line that core of dark fruits and mocha tones. Delicious in its youth, this has at least another decade ahead of it. Drink 2020-2032- 92