One of the great Oregon houses that continues to fly under the radar, Open Claim is a relatively new winery that dates back to 2014. Open Claim Vineyards focuses on single expression Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Founded by Marnie and Brett Wall, Open Claim Vineyards create wines that are highly cellar-worthy with their brilliant textures and flavor and aromatic ranges imparted. These are big and bold styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, regardless of vintage. This edition comes from the somewhat challenging 2019 vintage that saw very rainy and cold conditions at harvest.
At the helm of Open Claim is one of the Pacific Northwest’s finest winemakers, Tony Rynders. Tony not only makes his wines under his Tendril label but consults for a plethora of great Oregon producers. I had the chance to speak to Tony a few weeks back about his Open Claim wines and he admitted that this is a project steeped in quality that will only get better. These wines, indeed, have an incredibly high ceiling.
The new wines by Open Claim were every bit as good as the incredible 2018s. These wines scream texture, mouthfeel and flavor intensity. I love the new 2019 Open Claim ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is one of the best Pinot Noirs I have tasted from this vintage. Rich and layered, with serious weight, this really needs a few hours of air before consuming Learn more about these beautiful wines at http://www.openclaimvineyards.com/ Here are the brilliant 2019 releases by Open Claim.
2019 Open Claim Chardonnay- The 2019 Open Claim Chardonnay saw extensive time in barrel and is really impressive now after three years of aging. The wine utilizes clone 95 and 76, and was stored in months in 33% new French oak before bottling. Right now this is very aromatically appealing with its honeysuckle and lemon zest dusted brioche notes alongside shades of salty soils and ripe cantaloupe. The palate is soft and seamless, as this glides through the drinking experience — all leading to the near minute-long finish. Very broad-shouldered and dense, the 2019 Open Claim Chardonnay is an extraordinarily good effort by the talented Tony Rynders that is gorgeous now but will age gracefully for at least another decade. Drink 2022-2034- 95
2019 Open Claim Pinot Noir- A magnificent effort, the gorgeous 2019 Open Claim Pinot Noir is a sensational follow up to the stunning 2018. It is another masterclass by Tony Rynders. The wine is composed of a combination of Wadenswil, Dijon 943, 777 and 667 clones, and then sat in 25% new French oak for sixteen months prior to bottling. This is immediately gratifying once opened, revealing ripe red and dark fruit tones on the nose, with cigar box, allspice and shades of black truffle crudo. The palate is deep and very concentrated, producing a seamless effect once on the mouth. The underlying bright acidity and gorgeous weight seems to really drive this wine. Finishing exceedingly long with black fruits and minerals, this is a scintillating effort that is amongst the finest you will see in this vintage. Do not miss out on this beauty and enjoy now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2022-2037- 95