J. Christopher by Ernst Loosen - Appassionata Chardonnay dry dry Oregon USA 2019

J. Christopher by Ernst Loosen – Appassionata Chardonnay 2019: Bridging the gap between the Old and New Worlds

The Appassionata Chardonnay 2019 from J. Christopher is the result of an extraordinary transatlantic partnership and embodies the vision of the renowned German winemaker Ernst ‘Erni’ Loosen to combine the elegance and structure of the Old World with the terroir of the Willamette Valley. Loosen, internationally renowned for his Rieslings from the Dr. Loosen winery on the Moselle, has always harboured a deep passion for Pinot Noir and recognised as early as the 1990s that something very special was developing in Oregon’s Willamette Valley . After years of passionate collecting and numerous visits, he founded his US import company in 2003 and began a collaboration with the winemaker Jay Somers, who produced small quantities of Pinot Noir under the name J. Christopher .

The partnership eventually led to the creation of the Appassionata range, named after Beethoven’s passionate piano sonata. Loosen acquired 40 acres on Chehalem Mountain in Newberg, planted the Appassionata Vineyard and built the winery where the wines of J. Christopher and Appassionata are still produced today . The winemaking process consistently follows the Burgundian model: the Chardonnay undergoes whole-bunch pressing, followed by spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in 500-litre French oak barrels. Following natural malolactic fermentation, the wine matures on the lees for 21 months before being bottled and spending further time in the estate’s cellar .

The 2019 vintage in the Willamette Valley was characterised by a cooler and wetter climate than in previous years, resulting in wines with pronounced freshness, elegance and a classic, Burgundian character . The 2019 Appassionata Chardonnay accordingly boasts a silky texture and a multi-layered spectrum of aromas: notes of orange sorbet, pineapple and challah bread combine with a hint of mint, whilst the nose is characterised by lemon cream and the scent of rain on dry earth (petrichor) . The specialist press has honoured this wine with high ratings, including 94 points from Wine Enthusiast .

For lovers of great Chardonnays ,the 2019 Appassionataoffers a rare opportunity to experience a wine that bears the signature of one of the most significant winemakers of our time and impressively demonstrates the potential of Oregon’s cool growing regions.