Tan Fruit
(Arterberry Maresh) "Maresh Vineyard" Chardonnay 2022
(Dundee Hills, Oregon) - [WA 95] [JS 94] [DM 94] [VM 93]

From the Wine Advocate:
"Tan Fruit is a brand-new project from Jim Maresh, proprietor of his family winery, Arterberry Maresh, and the winemaker behind some of the most exciting Chardonnays in the Willamette Valley today. Much of the fruit for the Arterberry Maresh wines are sourced from older estate vines, and very few cases are made each year. In 2019, Maresh founded Tan Fruit, for which he will purchase fruit. “I hear about fruit for sale that I’d love to play with,” he explains. “It doesn’t work for Arterberry, but for Tan Fruit, there are no rules.” He made six cuvées this initial vintage, and unsurprisingly, they are some of the best Chardonnays of 2019. The first set of Tan Fruit wines will be released sometime in 2022, and I hope to be first to sign up for this mailing list.” – Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2022 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard comes from a block of Dijon clone vines planted in 1991 in the Dundee Hills on a steep, south-facing slope at 675 feet of elevation. Barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in 15% new French oak, plus four months in stainless steel, it’s reminiscent of Chablis and boasts exceptionally pure aromas. It opens with flint and petrichor before blossoming to apricot, elderflower liqueur, lime peel and hazelnuts. The palate is vibrant and silky with understated layers of creamy, peachy fruit, and its linear acidity and flinty tones come together for a shimmery finish. For several days after it's opened, the Maresh Vineyard becomes more and more expressive, pointing to a long life in the cellar." - Erin Brooks (July 2024)

94 Points - James Suckling:
" Dusty nose of gunpowder, chamomile and dried citrus peel on a bed of white peaches and pears. Some bread crust, too. Medium-bodied with nervy acidity and peach stone bitterness. It's fresh, focused and well-balanced. Drink or hold." (May 2024)

94 Points - Decanter:
A Dijon clone, planted at the Maresh estate in 1991. ‘I hate Dijon clones,’ says winemaker Jim Maresh, ‘I don't want this wine to express itself and I use it for its acidity, minerality and texture, but I don't want it to be an expression of fruit. I feel Dijon clones have a lower ceiling on complexity.’ Stony and tightly wound aromatics really lean into this wine's minerality. Mouthfuls of rocks, and thirst-slaking saline minerality show Jim leaning away from the fruit expression of the clone and leans into a very table-appropriate wine, for food. Notes of lanolin, crushed stone and chipped flint combine with the wine's beautiful texture and savoury richness that lasts for ages.

93 Points - Vinous:
"Green melon and mint give way to spring flowers, raw almonds and wet stones as the 2022 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard comes to life in the glass. This is silky-smooth with notes of yellow apple and salty mineral tones, all enriched by an air of custard. Hints of hazelnut resonate over a coating of tactile minerals and fine tannins as a bump of residual acidity maintains freshness. Very nice." Drink 2024-2029. - Eric Guido (May 2024)