Winemaker Notes
After spending a whole year telling everyone that the 2023 was the best vintage in my 30 vintages making wine in Oregon I feel disingenuous (or at least stereotypical) saying that 2024 has a chance to take that position away. The 2024 Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is our best effort of the nine vintages we have done (every vintage since 2015 except 2020). As usual, the Estate Vineyard bottling is fermented and goes through elevage in Acacia wood puncheons. The Acacia wood provides greater and rounder texture much the way an oak barrel does with Pinot Noir but rather than add the typical elements that a new oak barrel would add the Acacia would accentuates natural floral aromatics and definitely plays off any “lemony” flavors by concentrating them to a lemon meringue pie sort of flavor profile. The Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a denser, richer more stately version of Sauvignon Blanc than one would generally find in the universe of this grape. The 2024 version has a unique tension to it between its tropical lime-infused papaya notes and the crystalline minerality that is on display at a level we have never experienced before. As is always the case, it is at once very high in acidity but rich in texture which adds to the complexity of the fruit/minerality interplay in the wine and makes the wine profound even at a young age. While this wine is capable of aging (a 2019 consumed early in 2025 was in fabulous condition) we believe it is best served in its relative youth to capture these fresh and delicious flavors.