points
2011 Proprietor’s Cuvée
92 Points, Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Lovely aromatics push scents of espresso, cassis, truffle and baker’s chocolate right up front. The wine is polished, fine-boned and balanced, with taut cranberry and raspberry fruit. It brings in subtle accents of chalk, earth, rock and lead pencil, building to a firm, beautifully structured finish. — P.G.
Sagemoor Vineyards
Founded in 1968 through the vision of Alec Bayless, Sagemoor Vineyards was a pioneer in the development of the Washington State wine industry. Its early vineyards are among the oldest large-scale plantings of vinifera grapes in the State. According to Ronald Irvine’s The Wine Project – Washington’s Winemaking History, Sagemoor Vineyards… "became the most important vineyard planting in the Pacific Northwest, with 466 acres of vineyard and no [captive] winery, it became a crucial supplier to many of the small wineries throughout the Pacific Northwest for quality vinifera grapes [...] Sagemoor Farms consistently produced some of the best grapes in the state. It can be said that Sagemoor Farms and its companion vineyards [Bacchus and Dionysus] truly became the mother vineyards for many of the first wineries that emerged in the ‘70s and ‘80s [...] Even Oregon’s first wineries relied on Sagemoor fruit to get established."
Today Sagemoor Vineyards has more than 800 acres in production, supplying premium quality fruit to many of Washington’s most prominent wineries. A significant proportion of its 1972 plantings are still producing highly acclaimed "old vines" Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Other varietals in production include Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Roussanne, Barbera and White Riesling.
Location is an extremely important factor in growing high quality grapes, and these vineyards are situated on some of the finest sites in the State. Sagemoor, Bacchus and Dionysus are near Pasco on southwest-facing hillsides with dramatic views of the Columbia River. Weinbau lies on the Wahluke Slope above the Columbia River near Mattawa.
Sagemoor Vineyards counts among its customers both the largest of Washington State wineries and boutique, niche-market cellars. Winemaker clients actively participate in viticultural decision-making within their designated blocks to achieve their personal flavor-profile goals. Precision-farming techniques such as vigor mapping, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), soil profiling, micro-nutrient analysis and “green harvest” thinning are applied to manage yields, balance canopy with crop load, optimize sun exposure and ensure consistently high quality fruit. Services are tailored to offer clients a choice between tonnage or acre contracts, hand picking or machine harvest, bin or tub containers, transportation options and payment terms to suit their specific needs. Close, personalized working relationships with winemakers, focused on the common goal of growing great wine is the fundamental mission at Sagemoor Vineyards.
Lauren Ashton Cellars works with a number of prestigious vineyards in the Columbia Valley. Select a vineyard below to read more about them.
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