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%
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