- Tinte Cellars donation drive for Ukraine enters final week
- Jackson Family Wines invests in Walla Walla vines, wines
- 2022 Idaho Winery of the Year: Holesinsky Vineyard and Winery
- 2022 Idaho Winery to Watch: Rivaura Vineyards and Winery
- 2022 Washington Winery of the Year: Westport Winery Garden Resort
- 2022 Washington Winery to Watch: Liberty Lake Wine Cellars
- 2022 Oregon Winery of the Year: Chris James Cellars
- Long path of Andrew Riechers leads to early acclaim for Audeant Wines
- The Wine Knows: Upchurch hits sweet spot with Cab on Red Mountain
- Northwest Merlot remains memorable in talented hands
Amavi Cellars 2015 Estate Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley, $24
The Walla Walla Valley deserves more acclaim as a growing region for white wines, and Jean-François Pellet adds more evidence at the sister property of Pepper Bridge. Three estate vineyards — Les Collines (57%), Goff (28%) and Seven Hills – all were picked before Labor Day for this blend with Sauvignon Blanc (12%). A key factor is the complete devotion to neutral French oak fermentation, leading to aromas of ripe cantaloupe, apricot glacéed, dates and dusty lemon. The mouth feel is remarkably complex with delicious flavors of Jonagold apple and fig with a sheen of lemon oil that leads to a finish of green apple. Suggested pairings include shellfish and spicy fare. This marks the third straight “Outstanding!” rating for Amavi’s Sémillon, but production was trimmed by nearly 20 percent from the stellar release of the 2014 vintage.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 869 cases
Alcohol: 13.9%
Subscribe to our Wine of the Week newsletter
0 comments