Oregon wine: 2021 King Estate Winery Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon blanc plantings in Oregon are increasing, making this thirst-quenching varietal easier to find. King Estate Winery is on a mission to drive that trend forward, all while establishing an “Oregon-style” for Sauvignon blanc. Here we can achieve higher levels of natural acidity, along with more melon and fewer tropical fruit notes than are commonly found in the wines produced by our southernly neighbors in California.

The 2021 growing season started off warm and dry, before rains arrived during bloom and fruit set. Wet weather during this period is rough on the fragile grape flowers– and many blossoms were knocked off– resulting in smaller yields at harvest. With less fruit, the grapevines concentrated their efforts on the berries they still had, and produced outstanding grapes this vintage. Most of the juice was fermented in stainless steel, and the remainder spent time in concrete and neutral oak, which added additional texture. Weekly lees stirring, along with 4% Semillon, contributed even more richness and texture to this Sauvignon blanc.

I encourage you to taste this new “Oregon-style” Sauvignon blanc for yourself!