2015 Sauvignon Blanc

Casey McClellan’s mantra is "crop appropriately, harvest early." He explained: “I hate hypermaturity. Picking early leads to a longer evolution in bottle.” Still, he noted, 2015 was a very warm vintage and site selection was critical; Semillon was a particular challenge since it ripens so early, he told me. McClellan describes the 2013s reds as “structural wines, a bit angular and recalcitrant but just now starting to round out.” He finds the 2014s fleshier than the 2013s and believes they will be for earlier drinking.

McClellan, who has always focused on Bordeaux varieties, told me that his overall production will ultimately be only 15% to 20% white wine, as he won’t be making as much Pinot Gris from purchased fruit in the future. He also noted that although there’s Viognier and Semillon planted in Seven Hills vineyard and Roussanne and Marsanne elsewhere in Walla Walla Valley, the AVA is overwhelmingly a red wine area, with 94% of its vines planted to red grapes.