Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The wine's aromas are arresting in notes of lemon pith, herb, stone fruit, fig, spice, mineral and citrus. Full-bodied, layered and exquisitely balanced fruit flavors follow with a zing of electric, lemony acidity stitching it all together. The fig- and tropical fruit-filled finish seems near endless. It's showing beautifully now, but should only get better with some time in the cellar.
Cellar Selection -
Jeb Dunnuck
One of the top Bordeaux white blends from the New World, the 2017 Chaleur Estate Blanc is based on 71% Sauvignon and 29% Semillon brought up in barrel. It has a beautiful bouquet of ripe pineapple, peach, white flowers, and hints of sugared lemon. With good acidity, medium-bodied richness, and terrific balance, it can be enjoyed any time over the coming decade or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, the 2017 Chaleur Blanc has clean Sauvignon Blanc expressions of fresh lemons and soft grapefruit skin on the nose, with the Sémillon providing a lift, with delicate waxy florals and aromas of sauteed pineapple. Medium to full-bodied, fresh and escalated with seductive oak flavors on the palate, the wine is ripe, crisp and zesty, delivering pleasure and elegance. The wine lingers on the finish with soft oakiness and round complexity. There were 4,650 cases made.
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Wine & Spirits
A blend of sauvignon blanc with semillon, this makes a Graves-like initial impression in its aromas of wheat, apple and toasty oak. It’s chewy and light at once, the golden oak notes lending the wine depth and succulence. And it causes hunger pangs, for something like poached river whitefish.
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Wine Spectator
Expressive and dynamic, with lively pear and figs flavors, accented by a delicate, creamy and toasty note. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
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.