Seven of Hearts 2014 Stonehenge Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $18
Byron Dooley makes his wines in the McMinnville American Viticultural Area of Oregon, but this expression of Sauvignon Blanc again proves he’s among the more adventurous winemakers in the Willamette Valley. He ventures to the Maryhill area of Washington’s Columbia Valley, grabbing the white Bordeaux grape from near the first World War I memorial in the U.S., a harvest of 36-year-old vines he orchestrated on Sept. 19. It opens with floral aromas of dusty sweet herbs, Jolly Rancher Green Apple candy and a touch of oak – a subtle sign of the fermentation involving 50% neutral French barrels. Orchard fruit flavors and honeydew melon make it an easy drink, and the arrival of lime zest in the back tightens it up nicely for a bone-dry finish.
Rating: Recommended
Production: 154 cases
Alcohol: 13.8%
Earlier this June Colleen and I did our second tour of some wineries out of Ashland. Wineries in the afternoon and plays at the Shakespeare Festival in the evening. Our last stop coming out of the Applegate Valley was Schultz Winery at your recommendation. It was a pleasant surprise. Greg was in the tasting room with the two dogs and his wife was out working in the vineyard. Colleen found her big buttery Chardonnay! They shipped a mixed case home,
(2 cases flew FREE on Alaska) plus 3 other cases by Fedx for the trip. Two weeks ago you did a Viognier review. You described theirs as “oaky and buttery” so we bought a case. Drank it tonight and it was as advertised! Thanks for the review.
By the way, congratulations on the journalism awards. I am glad that professional persons like yourselfs can be recognized without a printing press running behind them. Things are well at our house and we follow you every week and buy lots of your recommendations.
George and Colleen Hoyt