Meredith Bell and Luke Wylde believe in Chardonnay. They make other wines too, under the brands Est and Lares, but their shared passion for Chardonnay comes through in their Statera wines, devoted entirely to this singular grape from the best sources in the Willamette Valley: vineyards like Royer, Bunker Hill, and Johan. They try to source their grapes from organic and ethically-farmed sources. They make a range of single-vineyard Chardonnays – usually the best version of that vineyard available – and some sparkling, and orange Chardonnay too, but this cuvee, Imber, represents a holistic snapshot of the vintage, blended from several sites. In the cellar, Meredith and Luke are looking for intensity in their wine. The pressing is long and hard, the fermentation cold and slow. The wine is left on the lees in totally neutral barrels for more than a year to gain textural depth and richness. This is not a Chardonnay for the faint of heart; this is an intense wine. The nose offers every expression of the lemon: the juice, peel, zest, and curd. There’s notes of juniper and basil, apricot, hints of green apple, orange zest and a bit of biscuit. On the palate, those hints of apple become power chords of apple, with lemon oil, hazelnut, and herb salt. Bursting with acidity, and texturally creamy thanks to all that time on the lees, the wine finishes with a touch of marmalade on shortbread. Put this head turning wine next to all sorts of bird-focused dishes or whatever you bring home from the farmer’s market.