Winemaker Notes
The 2024 Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc represents the winery’s finest expression of the nine vintages produced since 2015, excluding 2020, and is fermented and aged in Acacia wood puncheons, which enhance texture much like oak does for Pinot Noir while highlighting natural floral aromatics and concentrating lemony flavors to create a profile reminiscent of lemon meringue pie.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc comes from six different vineyards. Fermented and matured in stainless steel, it has inviting aromas of peach, kiwi, tarragon, beeswax and petrichor. The medium-bodied palate balances concentrated flavors with fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a long, gently textural finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is a snappy, forward wine with notes of grapefruit, lime zest, melon rind, and tropical fruit. Medium-bodied with a white pepper spritz, it's taut and energetic, showing excellent ripeness and intensity while remaining refreshingly crisp.
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Vinous
Sweet florals, grapefruit zest and wet stone form an inviting bouquet as the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc comes to life in the glass. Juicy and fresh, it offers supple textures and masses of citrus-tinged orchard fruits. The style is gently mineral and wickedly fresh. The 2024 finishes with admirable length and leaves the palate squeaky clean.
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.
One of Pinot Noir's most successful New World outposts, the Willamette Valley is the largest and most important AVA in Oregon. With a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Pacific Ocean, it is perfect for cool-climate viticulture and the production of elegant wines.
Mountain ranges bordering three sides of the valley, particularly the Chehalem Mountains, provide the option for higher-elevation vineyard sites.
The valley's three prominent soil types (volcanic, sedimentary and silty, loess) make it unique and create significant differences in wine styles among its vineyards and sub-AVAs. The iron-rich, basalt-based, Jory volcanic soils found commonly in the Dundee Hills are rich in clay and hold water well; the chalky, sedimentary soils of Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and McMinnville encourage complex root systems as vines struggle to search for water and minerals. In the most southern stretch of the Willamette, the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA soils are mixed, shallow and well-drained. The Hills' close proximity to the Van Duzer Corridor (which became its own appellation as of 2019) also creates grapes with great concentration and firm acidity, leading to wines that perfectly express both power and grace.
Though Pinot noir enjoys the limelight here, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay also thrive in the Willamette. Increasing curiosity has risen recently in the potential of others like Grüner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc and Gamay.