Two Unique Oregon Whites
Happy Friday from Oregon wine country!
We've been loving the long days and breezy nights of summer, and we are loving today's two unique Oregon white wines. Simply put, you've not had Oregon white wines like these. We highly recommend both.
Bow and Arrow Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Helioterra Arneis 2015
We've been loving the long days and breezy nights of summer, and we are loving today's two unique Oregon white wines. Simply put, you've not had Oregon white wines like these. We highly recommend both.
Bow and Arrow Sauvignon Blanc 2015
$22.45 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case* order ($24.95 regular)
This wine is the best kind of accident. Scott Frank's Bow & Arrow chose an atypical path for an Oregon winery, opting for a focus on Loire instead of Burgundy grape varietals. That aside, the last varietal Scott wanted to make was Sauvignon blanc.
In 2014, he bought enough Sauv blanc from a trusted grower, thinking he'd experiment with it and ultimately blend it with Chardonnay. But the grapes were to ripe, and too good to blend. Instead of pressing the grapes right away and transferring to a steel tank, he fermented them on the skins for several hours and let the wine age in neutral oak barrels. The resulting wine, a mere 69 cases, was a smash hit -- so much so that Scott more than tripled the production in 2015 and is now completely sold on Sauvignon blanc as a winery staple.
We've not tasted a Pacific Northwest Sauv blanc like this. Beautiful fruit, texture, and richness with superb length and minerality through the finish. Try it and you'll be equally sold.
Helioterra Arneis 2015$17.95 in any 12 bottle or Build a Case* order ($19.95 regular)
Helioterra is a champion of rare and interesting whites, which means Arneis is right in their wheelhouse. Arneis is rarely grown outside of Italy's Piedmont region -- it is notoriously difficult to grow.
It certainly seems to have flourished in Redman Vineyard on Ribbon Ridge, because this wine is pure delight. Ultra-refreshing, lemon-lime, apricot and white peach, with perfect weight and a brioche-like richness that lingers on the finish. Helioterra is very excited about their Arneis, and rightfully so!