2018 Championship Bottle Sauvignon Blanc Lost Verses Durant Vineyard- USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (1/17/2021)
This being my third try of a Championship Bottle white, I’ve grown accustomed to expecting the unexpected, certainly the case here. What jumps out right away in this Sauvignon Blanc is its richness and almost the perception of a little sweetness, more so texturally than actually having a glycerol taste. The finish is perfectly dry and all in all this a unique, fun, cheery white wine that offers a lot of character for a modest price tag - a little north of $20. Well done! (90 pts.)
Thank you all for the kind words. It’s funny how “unique,” like “interesting,” can be double-edged, depending on the inflection. That said, I feel like if I’m not making unique wines, there’s not really a reason to do this. There are definitely a ton of wineries in the Willamette Valley… (And deliciousness is still a prerequisite…there’s nothing worse than opening a wine that you don’t want to finish)
The SB is definitely the outlier among the '18’s, with a lot more weight and richness. It’s also, alas, a one-off at the moment–I was the beneficiary of extra fruit in '18, but haven’t been able to source SB from a top-class site in the two years since. Hopefully, this year reverses that trend.
I Understand on the double edged sword. Mean in a positive way, should consider alternate wording. These wines you’ve made that I have tried so far are quite different than many others producers.
These wines are peaking my intellectual curiosity but satisfying my palate at the same time as Dale was alluding too…
Nice to see some folks enjoying Saul’s wines! Visited with him while working the harvest at a different winery in 2020, and it was easily one of my favorite visits in Oregon. The SB is definitely unique in a good way! If I remember right, it sees a bit of skin contact giving it wonderful texture and phenolic flavors. I also really loved Broken Radios and Hard Promises. Truly a bummer that we won’t be seeing more of this wine unless something changes, but I’m excited to see what Saul releases next.
2018 Championship Bottle Sauvignon Blanc Lost Verses Durant Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills (3/4/2024)
At first I thought this the more “typical” white I have had from CB in some time. Nope, it was just too cold initially, and as the wine warmed all the unique goodness from this producer came to the front. Less acidity than your mom and pop SB, but no lack of structure or freshness. Some tropical fruits, guava perhaps sit in the back ground while a Italian herbal (think oregano and sage) takes the center stage. Versatile white and could be served with a wide array of food, and in this case, great pairing with a marinated beet, orange and goat cheese salad (91 points)
