Airfield Estates Sauvignon Blanc
WHY WE LOVE IT
- 100% Estate Grown.
- Airfield has been growing Sauvignon Blanc on their estate vineyard in Yakima Valley for over 40 years.
- Managing their canopies and exposing the grapes at just the right time in the growing season are critical elements in creating this highly rated wine.
Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Elaboration: The grapes are hand-sorted and sent directly to the press as whole clusters for gentle pressing. After settling for about six days, the juice is cleanly racked and inoculated with a special yeast strain from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc grapes. This strain helps maintain the fresh fruit characteristics of the wine, which is fermented at a cooler temperature of 61-62 degrees. This controlled fermentation, lasting nearly three weeks, enhances the complex aromatics while avoiding astringencies. Post-fermentation, the wine’s natural lees are stirred twice a month for two months, building body and roundness. Finally, the wine is settled, stabilized, and filtered to ensure its clarity and purity.
Tasting Notes: A refreshing, light-bodied wine with vibrant tropical citrus fruit aromas. Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, lime zest, and layers of fresh lemongrass dominate the nose. On the palate, bright acidity highlights secondary flavors of guava with undertones of mandarin peel and a hint of minerality. The finish is clean and brisk, accentuating the wine’s natural acidity.
PRESS
2023 – 90 Jeb Dunnuck | 90 Paul Gregutt | 89 Wine Enthusiast – Best Buy!
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Airfield Estates is a fourth-generation family vineyard based in the Yakima Valley, Washington. Today the winery is overseen by brother-sister duo Marcus Miller and Lori Stevens. The siblings prepared themselves for this endeavor. Marcus pursued an MBA in Finance and a degree in Viticulture and Enology, interning at Canoe Ridge in Walla Walla, he also worked as winemaker at Tsilan Cellars in Chelan and harvester at Montana Brancott Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand. Laurie obtained a Master’s in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in retail distribution management..
Prior to its farming days, Airfield Estates operated as a training base for hundreds of Army Air Corps pilots during World War II. The airbase closed in 1944, and the airplane hangars and other buildings were auctioned off to the Miller family for $1. The ranch produced alfalfa, asparagus, potatoes, onions, and oats, as well as cattle and hogs. Founder H. Lloyd Miller’s entrepreneurial spirit brought him in contact with President Roosevelt to find the funding for the Rosa Canal Project in the Yakima Valley, enabling irrigation water access from the high mountains to the soon-to-be established 830-acre winery. In 1967, Don Miller, the current owner’s grandfather, planted three “test” varietals, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, which would lead to more than 20 different varietals being greenhouse-propagated and commercially planted by 1971 as the oldest established AVA in Washington State.