Valdemar Estates Roussanne
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The Valemar Estates Roussanne from Columbia Valley was meticulously hand farmed by the Olsen Brothers and Sagemoor teams, 55% Olsen Vineyard and 45% Gamache Vineyard.
Varietal: 100% Roussanne
Elaboration: Barrel fermented at low temperature for 28 days in neutral French oak. Aged on lees for 5 months before bottling. 5 months in barrel, 100% neutral French oak.
Tasting Notes: “The sweetly scented 2023 Roussanne wafts up with a whiff of confectionary spice and chamomile complementing freshly sliced nectarines. This is more savory within, as a mineral tinge upfront ushers forth tart orchard fruits riding a stream of saline-infused acidity. The 2023 leaves the mouth watering for more, long and classically dry with a hint of sour melon that adds lovely punctuation.” -Eric Guido, Vinous
PRESS
2022 – 93 Jeb Dunnuck
2023 – 91 Vinous
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
“Always pioneering” is Bodegas Valdemar’s motto. Five generations of the Valdemar family in Rioja, Spain, have remained committed to producing wines reflecting the diversity of their vineyards. For over 135 years, the family has incorporated innovative initiatives like creating the first barrel-fermented white wine and the first Tempranillo white. They have also been instrumental in recovering varietals presumed to be extinct, such as the Maturana grape and the Granciano variety.
In 2019, they established the first non-American winery in Washington State, led by siblings Jesús and Ana Martínez Bujanda, CEO and COO of Valdemar Estates. Under the “inherited know-how” they received from previous generations, the innovative winemakers have turned their land into sustainable wine agroecosystems, using organic matter to improve fertility, cover crops, pheromones to control pests, varietal diversity, biological corridors, and native forests, resulting in an the International “Wineries for Climate Protection” certification. This designation’s four pillars align with the Bodegas Valdemar commitment to reducing the carbon footprint, using renewable energies, and managing water while reducing waste.