King Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis nicely combines ripe citrus and apple with zesty lime, a hint of grapefruit and penetrating acidity. It’s full-bodied and fleshy, with a lengthy spice-driven finish. Editors’ Choice.
Aromas of white peach, grapefruit and fresh mint. Medium-bodied with mineral character. Wet stones and fresh flowers mix with a solid core of stone fruit.
King Estate is a sustainably-farmed 1033-acre certified organic vineyard complex and state of the art winery situated atop the rolling slopes in the Coast Range foothills, near the southern end of Oregon's Willamette Valley. In addition to world-class vineyards, their estate is home to organic orchards, vegetable gardens, and a host of native wildlife; including cougar and black bear. King Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are sourced primarily from estate-grown, certified Biodynamic fruit, blended with the best selection of grapes from like-minded Willamette Valley AVA vineyard partners committed to sustainable agriculture.Organically-farmed and managed as a fully-integrated ecosystem, King Estate is also home to an innovative culinary program whose focus is the synergy of local, organically produced food and wine created just outside the winery doors. King Estate's critically-acclaimed Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are available through fine restaurants and retailers around the world.
Home to some of America’s most celebrated Pinot Noir, Oregon maintains a tight focus on small production, high quality wine even while the state’s industry enjoys steady growth. As a world-renowned wine region, Oregon has more than 700 wineries and is home to well over 70 grape varieties. With a mostly Mediterranean climate, its cooler and wetter regions lie in the west, close to the Pacific Coast.
By far the most reputed Oregon wine region is the Willamette Valley, which is further subdivided into six smaller appellations: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton.
The Oregon wine region's most obvious success story is with Pinot Noir, which here takes on a personality that could be described in general terms as somewhere in between the wines of California and Burgundy—and is often more affordable than either one. The best Willamette Pinot noir has a rare combination of red and black fruit, elegant balance, high acidity and rustic earth. While completely enjoyable in their youth, some of the better, single vineyard or appellation-specific Pinot noirs can often benefit from some cellar time.
Other AVAs in Oregon’s west worth noting include Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley.
In the east are Snake River Valley, which overlaps into Idaho, and Columbia Valley, which Oregon shares with Washington. Summers are hot and dry in these regions but winters are cold and rainy.
Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot blanc also grow successfully in Oregon.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.