Winemaker Notes
Blend: 69% Sauvignon Blanc, 31% Sémillon
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Not yet bottled, the 2022 Chaleur Blanc will be terrific, and this wine is consistently one of the finest Bordeaux Blanc blends outside of Bordeaux. Based on 69% Sauvignon Blanc and the rest Semillon, aging in 42% new oak, it has a terrific sense of minerality as well as bright pineapple and honeyed grapefruit aromatics, medium body, a focused, tight, racy mouthfeel, and a great finish. It’s going to benefit from a year or two of bottle age.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
James Suckling
This Bordeaux-style white has 31% semillon blended into sauvignon blanc. Mostly barrel fermented and in 42% new French barrels, it has a tang of toasty oak backed by vivid citrus fruit. Very stylish, spicy and well-balanced by acidity.
-
Wine Spectator
Supple yet vibrant, this blend has multilayered beeswax, lemon verbena and fresh fig accents that linger on the long, plush finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Drink now through 2025. 8,700 cases made.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.