Shale Rock Vineyards
Umpqua Valley
Southern Oregon AVA
Oregon

65 cases produced

Marc Girardet, second generation winemaker, had this bottle tucked away under the table at a recent trade tasting and happily shared it with the Winerabblers. A suitcase clone brought back from New York state in a packed VW bus by Marc’s parents back in 1983, the production on this wine is very, very limited. And in case you’re scratching your head over what kind of grape varietal this is, Seyval blanc is a hybrid variety, a cross between Seibel 5656 with Seibel 4986. Created in the early 20th century, Seyval blanc is most common in the Northeast of the United States. In fact, we’re not sure just how many vines are planted in Oregon but we can say it’s not many!

The entire Shale Rock Vineyard is dry farmed so the grape vines must go deep to find the water they need to survive each summer. We think this adds to the distinct mineral notes found in the wine.

With many citrus notes, this Seyval blanc is mouthwateringly delicious and food friendly. We detected lemons and lime zest, along with lemon meringue and wet stone. Not only is it very tart but has a long, clean finish that would pair beautifully with salty cheese, appetizers and light dishes.

SRP $28.

www.girardetwine.com