Today’s Story: Maloof Wines
Maloof Wines is a fun, lively, and somewhat exploratory winery established in 2015 by husband and wife duo Ross and Bee Maloof. Situated in Forest Grove, Oregon, Maloof produces single vineyard wines mainly with often overlooked white grape varieties sourced from their estate vineyard No Clos Radio or other vineyard partners. Before crafting these wines, Bee worked in the aerospace industry as a materials science engineer and Ross gained a penchant for winemaking first after working in dining establishments and later working a harvest in the Willamette Valley. As wacky as some might consider the wines (particularly after reading some of their entertaining tasting notes), the end goal is to produce fun, lighthearted wines through minimal intervention in order to showcase each unique vineyard site and its farmers.
I HIGHLY recommend visiting the Maloof Wines website here, especially to read through the fun and entertaining tasting notes on the “Wines” tab. The website also does a fantastic job discussing each farmer and vineyard they work with.
Today’s Wine: 2018 Beddia Bianco Chardonnay
85% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Gris; 12% ABV
The 2018 Beddia Bianco is deep hazy gold/amber in color, actually reminiscent of an apricot. I must say this was a tough wine to taste at first, namely for the fact that upon first whiff you feel like you are about to enjoy an effervescent wine that really is not. Perhaps it’s the way this leaps from the glass with clean veracity and precision… Nonetheless, the nose does reveal captivating aromas of orange marmalade, marzipan, apricot, white florals, honey, finely crushed stone, and brioche. There’s some barnyard there too upon opening, but it largely blows off. Moving to the palate, I travel further into the adventure with notes of peach, yellow apple, melon, stone fruit, banana laffy taffy, snap pea, mineral, yeast, and lightly buttered toast. The wine is medium- to full-bodied with medium (+) acidity into a well-rounded long finish, leaving one both perplexed and yearning for that next sip. This is a very fun and weird wine. 81 cases produced.
Price: $32. This is a tough wine to discuss in regards to value, but I assure you that I cannot recommend it enough for the adventurous side of wine. Wines like this provide remembrance of the uniqueness, broadness, and power of the wine world which can help break up our often mundane tasting experiences. If you want something new and fun, look no further.
JB's Wine Talk 