Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Matthews Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc is yellow jasmine in color with flecks of green. Intense aromatics of starfruit, lemony sorrel leaf, juicy green pear and mandarin orange open to honeysuckle and linden flower. Followed by flavors of lemon curd, oyster shell, candied orange peel and flint, this medium-bodied, balanced wine has refreshing acidity. It finishes long with briny and stony flavors that are taught and textural.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
All varietal brought up in tank, the 2022 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc has bright citrus and lemon notes in its medium-bodied, vibrant, lively and focused style. It's incredibly well-balanced and has a classic style with tons to love.
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James Suckling
This is fresh and textured, with bright layers of sliced apples, fresh pears, chopped herbs and wet stones. Medium-bodied, clean and creamy, with tension.
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Wine Spectator
Crisp and multilayered, with lilting flavors of apricot, white blossom and lemongrass that sail on a brisk finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc exhibits a classic and focused expression, with citrus aromas taking the forefront. Medium-bodied, the palate is clean and fleshy, featuring a kiss of spice and citrus notes. The finish is food friendly, offering a balanced and finessed expression of Sauvignon Blanc.
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Vinous
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley lifts from the glass. It’s incredibly fresh, with a sweet herbal tinge that gives way to candied lime and hints of fermented ginger. Luxuriously round and soothing, with a core of mineral-tinged green melon guided by zesty acidity, the 2022 finishes steely clean. A minty sheen lingers on and on. This crisp beauty was refined in all stainless steel.
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Wine Enthusiast
Cue up the yacht rock because it is Sauvignon Blanc boat drinks for everybody. With a creamy texture and crisp acidity, this wine delivers tropical aromas and flavors of lime, guava, lychee and a Pina Colada one-two punch of coconut and pineapple. Ultimate fun and refreshment.
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.
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.