Willamette Valley Chardonnay, a legacy written in stone.

A Love for Chardonnay

Mark Tarlov loved the white wines of Burgundy. This is undoubtedly why his first Oregon wine project in 2005 featured a significant planting of Chardonnay, a variety all too rare in the Willamette Valley. It’s also why his first consultant in his winemaking adventures was a Burgundian, Dominique Lafon, the Lafon surname being virtually synonymous with Chardonnay.

In 2015, Tarlov founded Rose & Arrow, whose objective was to explore the diversity of the Willamette’s terroirs solely through Pinot Noir: a practical consideration, given the sparse planting of Chardonnay. But Chardonnay was always an abiding love of his.

I, Pedro Parra, began my consulting work for Rose & Arrow in 2015. My trips there, to the Willamette Valley, were aimed at helping Tarlov and his winemaker, Felipe Ramirez, translate the terroir from the vineyards to the winery. We were working, once again, on Pinot Noir. But during my visits, Tarlov always opened bottles of Domaine Comte Lafon, Domaine Raveneau, Domaine Roulot… he always seemed to have Chardonnay in his head and in his veins. So did Felipe and I. I fondly remember those evenings and those bottles.

At the time, I was working with Roulot himself on his Meursault terroirs. I had quickly become friends with him. I also believed, like Tarlov, that Oregon would be very lucky to welcome a winemaker as caring and astute as Jean-Marc.

Felipe Ramirez

Pedro Parra

A Legacy Bottled

Mark Tarlov passed away in 2020. His passing left a great void and many unresolved ideas, including one of his most persistent: that a mineral Chardonnay with pronounced acidity could be produced in the Willamette Valley. Years of study had pointed to two sites: one of fractured basalt and the other of broken sedimentary stone.

I spoke with Felipe and suggested that we produce a Chardonnay that year in Tarlov’s honor. Felipe, also very close with Tarlov, wholeheartedly agreed. That year, the 2020 tribute vintage was born.

From Tribute to Testament

Fifteen months later, during one of my visits, Felipe surprised me with a blind tasting of ten Chardonnays; he offered no further clues. They were all clearly among the best in their category, a delight to taste. At the reveal, I was astonished to find that one of my favorites was ours, drawn from a barrel of the 2020 tribute!

Felipe and I looked at each other. How was it possible that after working so hard all these years to produce the best Pinot Noir, a world-class Willamette Valley Chardonnay had practically created itself? It instantly confirmed a nagging hunch I’d long held: Chardonnay is at least as excellent as Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. I’ve come to believe it’s better.

The conclusion was obvious to us, we had to embark on a Chardonnay project. I picked up the phone and called France. We needed the guidance of Jean-Marc Roulot. The request wasn’t easy to make, but I had to make it. Jean-Marc is a busy man. Would he help us?

After a moment of hesitation, he said “yes.” It was a testament to our friendship—our multifaceted friendship: mine and his, mine and Felipe’s, and, out of generosity of spirit, Felipe’s and Jean-Marc’s.

As further tribute to Tarlov’s passion and curiosity for the terroirs of the Willamette Valley, and in keeping with his final wish to have Roulot’s sensitivity come to bear in Oregon; out of love for Chardonnay, and in friendship, ATOMIQUE³ began.

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