It has now been roughly a year since I have tasted the outstanding wines of Hazelfern Cellars one of the outstanding producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir out of Oregon, Hazelfern Cellars has an inspired story by founders Brian and Laura Liang. Brian has been making wine since 2006 but in 2018 he finally departed from his corporate job to focus on winemaking and operations at Hazelfern, located in Newberg, Oregon. Brian’s wine education includes many hours watching YouTube videos on winemaking. Winemaking in their Portland basement wasn’t the easiest of tasks but over time Brian saw his winemaking style evolve. Laura also serves as co-winemaker and they have done a wonderful job with their wines over the past few years.
2021 was a warm vintage and the releases by Hazelfern have impeccable balance, despite the warmth of the vintage. The wines display wonderful texture. I love the new 2021 Hazelfern ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay (OB, 92) which is very fresh and vibrant with layers of citrus and orchard fruits. Don’t miss out on the 2021 Hazelfern ‘Prime Cut’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) which is a killer barrel selection wine that shows great stony and salty accents, with outstanding weight and verve.. Learn more about this outstanding winery at https://www.hazelfern.com Here are the beautiful new wines by Hazelfern.
2021 Hazelfern ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- This 2021 edition by Hazelfern was stored in a mere 15% new French oak for 11 months before bottling. It is brimming with bright acidity alongside wet stone, pink grapefruit and Pazzaz apple flavors, with sourdough bread undertones. Seriously good, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2021 Hazelfern ‘Rock Block’ Chardonnay- Always one of the unique wines made in Oregon, the Rock Block Chardonnay comes from a high elevation site that is extremely stony, as this was stored in 28% new French oak before bottling. Salty and stony on the mouth, this shows incredible terroir with its smooth and polished mouthfeel. Displaying excellent length and viscosity with rich orchard and citrus fruit flavors, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next decade. Drink 2023-2033- 94
2021 Hazelfern ‘Stormy Morning Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This 2021 Chardonnay comes for this site in the Tualitin Hills AVA. Only 12.8% alcohol, this offers ripe pear, and brioche notes on the palate alongside salty and stony undercurrents. Seriously good, with a smooth texture, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2023-2033- 94
2021 Hazelfern ‘Prime Cut’ Chardonnay- The deftly textured and still very nervy 2021 ‘Prime Cut’ is a stunning showing in this warm vintage. Once on the nose this takes on layers of salted peach, wet stone, pineapple and shades of cardamom dusted brioche. The palate is viscous and lithe with a smooth mouthfeel. Showing outstanding length and weight, this beauty is only starting to hit its stride. Drink 2023-2038- 95
2021 Hazelfern ‘The Hazelfern Vineyard’ Trousseau- The 2021 Trousseau offers black raspberry and teaberry flavors on the palate with a smooth texture. The shades of black truffle and loamy soils add to the intrigue, as this is already nicely evolved stuff. Drink 2023-2030- 92
2021 Hazelfern Gamay Noir- The outstanding new 2021 Gamay was aged for 12 months in all neutral oak before bottling. It comes off very soft and fresh with stony character alongside a brilliant core of red fruits with citrus rind and a waft of cola. Enjoy now and over the next few years while the outstanding finesse remains intact. Drink 2023-2030- 93
2021 Hazelfern ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Coming from a range of sites throughout the Willamette Valley, this 2021 Pinot Noir was stored in 18% new French oak before bottling. Very lithe and smooth once on the mouth, this delivers cran-pomegranate, blood orange rind, salty soils and Yakima cherry flavors woven together with copious minerals on the palate. Drink 2023-2031- 92
2021 Hazelfern ‘The Hazelfern Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The brilliant new 2021 ‘The Hazelfern Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is translucent in the glass and was stored in 25% new French oak before bottling. Fresh and lithe, this displays a pretty core of strawberry and guava fruits on the palate, with light flinty undertones. This is already really nicely evolved stuff. Drink 2023-2033- 93
2021 Hazelfern ‘Three Cedars Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Three Cedars Vineyard, set on windblown Loess soils, is located in the Laurelwood District. This 2021 Pinot Noir was stored in 23% new French oak before bottling. Black tea and kumquat rind aromatics combine with shades of mountain gooseberry on the nose. The palate is smooth and polished with layers of very pretty red fruits that collide with citrus blossom water and salty undertones. Drink 2023-2035- 93
2021 Hazelfern ‘Stormy Morning Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This 2021 Pinot Nour is very lightly colored, showing guava, red raspberry and red cherry notes on the palate with flinty undercurrents. Medium-bodied, and displaying good length, this beautiful wine is already nicely evolved and will show marvelously on the Thanksgiving table. Drink 2023-2035- 93
2021 Hazelfern ‘Prime Cut’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Prime Cut’ is a barrel selection wine by the Hazelfern winemaking team. Texturally very good, this reveals tart Bing cherry notes alongside teaberry, sandalwood and shades of salty soils on the palate. Really good now, this will deliver drinking enjoyment over the next ten to fifteen years to come. Drink 2023-2037- 94