Guardian Cellars Angel Sauvignon Blanc

Guardian Cellars “Angel” Sauvignon Blanc

WHY WE LOVE IT

  • Sourced from Klipsun Vineyards in Red Mountain.
  • This wine was fermented on a mix of stainless steel and French oak before blending to add some weight and texture.

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Elaboration: The grapes go direct to press and straight to stainless steel. 50% is barreled down into neutral French oak to add weight and texture. Cool fermentation either at 59 degrees or below. The stainless-steel tanks are cooler to create a blanket of ice around the tank. Post-fermentation the Angel is combined in stainless steel. Aged 60% in neutral oak, 40% in stainless steel.

Tasting Notes: This gorgeous wine exudes notes of white grapefruit, citrus zest, and lemon drop candy. It’s vibrant, fresh and has a fun zippy pop on the palate.

PRESS

n/a

PRODUCER BACKGROUND

Usually in the culinary world, pairing refers to the marriage of food and wine; in the case of Jerry Riener, the cop and winemaker, and Seattle Times reporter Jennifer Sullivan, pairing in marriage would prove to be the recipe for building Guardian Cellars. Their vineyards are located from the sandy-soiled Columbia Valley west to the petrified tree fossils lining the soil in the Wahluke Slope and southeast to the loam soils of Red Mountain. Jerry began his interest in viticulture as a child working on his Uncle’s farms every summer. This led to the opportunity to drive a forklift while volunteering at a winery when he was 23. As a graduate of the University of Washington as an Organic Chemist and the Police Academy, he spent his free time volunteering 40-plus hours a week at wineries around Woodinville. Four years later, Guardian Cellars was born, producing one Bordeaux style blend, a Cabernet and a Syrah. In the meantime, over a shared interest in 90s music and a glass of wine enters Jennifer, who now manages the tasting rooms, events, staff and wine clubs, as well as their two daughters, Josephine and Jillian.

Both the blistering summers and frigid winters contribute to the bold, structured and complex reds and rich, fruit-driven whites produced by Guardian Cellars. Five vineyards provide grapes to their complex blends: Conner Lee, StoneTree, Klipsun, Obelisco, and Quintessence. As a nod to Jennifer’s background as a reporter, some of their wines and one of the Guardian tasting rooms in Woodinville is named “Newsprint”.

Print Shelf Talker