Winemaker Notes
In the glass the wine is the delicate color of pale straw. The nose hints at the classic Sauvignon Blanc flavors to follow: white peach, gooseberry, melon, guava, wildflowers, and damp slate. Fruit forward and crisp, this rich and mineral-driven wine exhibits balanced acidity with a satisfyingly long finish.
Blend: 91% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This nicely combines ripe citrus and apple with zesty lime, a hint of grapefruit and penetrating acidity. It’s full-bodied and fleshy, with a lengthy spice-driven finish. Editors’ Choice.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 King Estate Sauvignon Blanc shows the excellent typicity of the grape variety. TASTING NOTES: This wine delivers aromas and flavors of dried leaves, appealing earth, and fresh herbs. Serve it with seafood chowder. (Tasted: December 16, 2021, Santa Rosa, CA)
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James Suckling
Aromas of white peach, grapefruit and fresh mint. Medium-bodied with mineral character. Wet stones and fresh flowers mix with a solid core of stone fruit.
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.