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  • A man on the edge of a sailboat holding a bottle of Sauv Blanc and an emerald green glass

The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc, we heart you.

Over the past 14 years, our family has been on a search for the most unique vineyard parcels throughout Washington State. Working closely with the teams who manage them, we set sustainable growing practices to craft distinct wines from these incredible sites. Each year the work is rigorous. But, when everything comes together (the weather, the harvest, the fermentation, the blending), the resulting wines can be sublime. It’s what keeps us coming back every year. Our pursuit of Sauvignon Blanc, for us, borderlines on an obsession. We are thrilled to release our 2019 Sauvignon Blanc.

Our Sauvignon Blancs are fermented in both stainless steel tanks and small concrete eggs, to help preserve the natural vibrance of this wonderful grape. Here are several scenes from last year's harvest, as the vineyards were being hand-harvested, and hand-sorted within the winery.

Looking down on a yellow bin of white grape clusters

Harvest at Boushey Vineyards, one of vineyards featured in the Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.

A vineyard post with a yellow tag hanging on it reading Sauv Blanc
White grape clusters piled on top of each other
Someone pouring a small yellow bin full of white grape clusters into a larger bin
A tractor moving down a vineyard row pulling a large bin full of white grapes
Looking down on someone holding a small yellow bin full of Sauv Blanc grape clusters

Previous Praise for the 2018:

Editor’s Choice. This wine is a blend of fruit from Laura Lee Vineyard on the Royal Slope and Boushey in Yakima Valley. There's no mistaking the variety, with its vibrant aromas of citrus zest, fresh herb, kiwi and white and pink grapefruit, with intriguing mineral notes throughout. The kiwi and tropical and citrus flavors play perfectly off one another, with the palate bringing a sense of volume and length. It has a big-time yum factor.
— 91 points, Sean Sullivan, Wine Enthusiast
A vineyard worker cutting white grapes off the vine
A males hand holding a white grape cluster from a larger bin of grapes
Hands sorting unwanted materials out of white grapes on a sorting table
Male hands touching the outside of a cold stainless steel tank

The fruit was sorted by cluster, and either destemmed or whole cluster pressed, based on the condition of the fruit and lot size. Fermentation was completed in mostly stainless steel tanks. Only the Sémillon was fermented and aged in barrel for a few months before being blended into the base Sauvignon Blanc.

White grapes falling off a sorting table into a catcher
Owner Bryan Otis touching the outside of a concrete egg vessel
Owner Bryan Otis sniffing a glass of white wine leaning against a barrel

The 2019 Vintage

The 2019 Matthews Sauvignon Blanc was crafted using Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon from select vineyards in Washington State, located on the Royal Slope of the Columbia Valley and the southern slopes of the Rattlesnake Mountains of the Yakima Valley. Farmed using sustainable practices, the fruit was hand-harvested in the early mornings between September 4th and 25th. Upon arriving at the winery, each cluster was hand-sorted and both whole cluster and destemmed pressed. It was then fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks (93%) and French oak barrels (7%) before being bottled and released. Only 1,450 cases were produced.

Labeled AVA: Columbia Valley
Vineyards: Bacchus, Stillwater Creek, Laura Lee, La Reyna Blanca, Boushey
Case Production: 1,450
Varietal Composition: 93% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Sémillon
Vinification: Fermented in 93% stainless steel and 7% French oak barrels. Aged for 8 months in stainless steel tanks.
Alcohol: 13.0%
When to Drink: Now-2022
Retail Price: $24
Wine Club Price: $19

Intense aromatics of lemon drop, lime peel, honeycomb, honeysuckle blossoms, as well as a chalky minerality. Swirling adds peach pit and lychee with wafting green notes of gooseberry and fragrant fresh herbs. The palate has great polish and weight with a touch more fruit sweetness than the nose suggests. Finishes classically dry and pithy with some mineral nuance that makes it irresistible.
— Aryn Morell, Winemaker
A smiling male leaning against the door of a greenhouse, under string lights and dusk sky, holding a bottle of Claret
Closeup of a tablescape of grilled veggies and chicken, salad and a bottle of Sauv Blanc
The back of a blonde female walking through the birch trees holding a glass of white wine
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