Phelps Creek Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2016
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Wilfred
Wong
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#36 wine in VinePair's Top 50 of 2018
We now manage the marvelous Sauvignon Blanc vineyard grown on Underwood Mountain, within eyesight of our property. Our inspiration was to emulate “Kiwi” style, with its bright acidity and tropical notes on the nose. We balanced its “racy” character with beautiful scents of grapefruit, guava, and gooseberry.
The wine pairs delightfully with foods ranging from freshly shucked oysters to Asian spiced grilled shrimp.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: At this time in my wine life, I don't have a lot of experience with the Columbia Gorge AVA. I did, however, find the 2016 Phelps Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc to be quite good. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows a racier style of the grape variety. Its aromas and flavors of dried citrus peel and chalk should make it a delightful pairing with clams and linguine in a garlic and white wine sauce. (Tasted: September 11, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
Phelps Creek first planted their oldest vines of Pinot Noir in 1990, adding a block of Dijon clone Chardonnay two years later. Over the years they have expanded the vineyards and now nurture 34 acres (25 Acres of Pinot Noir, 4.5 acres of Chardonnay and 1/2 acre of Pinot Gris). In addition to the estate fruit, they experiment with growing "alternative whites" just across the Columbia River on Underwood Mountain.
Phelps Creek is a tributary of the Columbia River. The creek source is a lake between their vineyard and Mt. Defiance, running a path just below our vineyards. Ours is the first private property along its route. Along the way several natural springs feed the flow. The stream terminates as Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, situated on the backside of the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel. Phelps himself was a Cooper, building barrels using a small mill along the lower portion of the creek. The Oregon Geographical Names mentions Phelp's involvement in a tragic rafting accident on the Columbia and the creek is named in his memory.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Home to some of America’s most celebrated Pinot Noir, Oregon maintains a tight focus on small production, high quality wine even while the state’s industry enjoys steady growth. As a world-renowned wine region, Oregon has more than 700 wineries and is home to well over 70 grape varieties. With a mostly Mediterranean climate, its cooler and wetter regions lie in the west, close to the Pacific Coast.
By far the most reputed Oregon wine region is the Willamette Valley, which is further subdivided into six smaller appellations: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.
The Oregon wine region's most obvious success story is with Pinot Noir, which here takes on a personality that could be described in general terms as somewhere in between the wines of California and Burgundy—and is often more affordable than either one. The best Willamette Pinot noir has a rare combination of red and black fruit, elegant balance, high acidity and rustic earth. While completely enjoyable in their youth, some of the better, single vineyard or appellation-specific Pinot noirs can often benefit from some cellar time.
Other AVAs in Oregon’s west worth noting include Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley.
In the east are Snake River Valley, which overlaps into Idaho, and Columbia Valley, which Oregon shares with Washington. Summers are hot and dry in these regions but winters are cold and rainy.
Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot blanc also grow successfully in Oregon.