Lot 921 2020 North Coast White Wine
You could drink any old Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Or, you could fill up on this an EXTRA-ORDINARY, rare blend.
This one was a blast to put together! Here’s the inside scoop on how Lot 921—a deliciously rare white blend—came to be. In early 2020, our viticulturist, Zeke, picked up the phone to find out a host of unique varieties originally destined for a master blender of kitchen-sink grapes was backing out of a deal. The caller offered Zeke Chardonnay and Bianchetta Trevigiana (an Italian variety) from Carneros, Viognier and Pinot Grigio grapes from Sonoma Mountain, and Grenache Blanc and Albariño from the Suisun Valley, east of San Francisco.
Zeke conferenced with the winemaking team to find out if they wanted all those varieties, and their collective thinking was immediately affirmative. They reasoned that if this legendary master blender was planning to bottle all those grapes into one blend—the Cameron Hughes team should do the same. It’s so rare that we get to flex our creative muscles with whites from California. It’s usually either Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. But not Lot 921. This white HAS IT ALL. The creaminess and ripe tropical and orchard fruit of Chardonnay; the zesty-bright acidity of Bianchetta Trevigiana; the fleshy, juicy, floral-driven qualities from Viognier and Pinot Grigio, balanced by the soft, silken, and highly aromatic notes from Grenache Blanc and Albariño. The result is pure aromatic magic. Lot 921 is a wine you could smell all day and night. And at $16 per bottle, you should drink plenty of it, too.
We’re pouring Lot 921 side-by-side with Sole Meunière or Coq au Vin Blanc, as the creamy fruit will complement the butter and cream of these dishes, while the bright acidity will cut through it. You could also enjoy it alongside fish and chips.
Watch as Wanda Mann, Wine Writer and Educator, walks us through a tasting and unravels the mysteries of this fantastic white wine blend.
Wine Tasting Highlights:
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Mysteries of a White Wine Blend
00:26 The Color
00:47 On the Nose
01:08 On the Palate
01:57 Great for Pairing or as an Aperitif
Tasting Video Transcript:
00:00:08 –> 00:02:19
Wanda Mann says:Hello, Wanda Mann here in the CH Wine Tasting Room with the really fun white wine blend from the north coast of California. This is Lot 921 2020 vintage. It’s a bit of a mystery. It’s not revealing too many of its secrets on the label white wine blend. But we’ll delve into that a little bit. But let’s look at that color.
I don’t know about you, but I see that and I think California sunshine, really golden in the bottle. As you can see. Nothing to hide, but also get a little closer so you can see the color there. In bright, kind of a burnished gold. It’s sunshine. It’s walking on the beach it’s just relaxing, it’s just chilling out. Oh, on the nose.
That same happy feeling. It’s very flirty. It’s peachy. It’s floral. I get a little bit of grassy ness, some lemon zest, a little bit of lime. This just feels like sunshine is just the smell is easygoing. It’s pretty is just like, just sip me already and stop talking. So that’s what I’m going to do.
Wow. A lot of flavor, a lot of texture. Again, I’m getting that peach on the palate. Maybe there’s some here. There’s a body to it. So I’m guessing maybe some Chardonnay is what I’ve been told. And a little bit of Pinot Grigio and that peachy-ness. Definitely the Viognier and that grassy note coming from the Sauvignon Blanc. So I’ve unraveled a little bit of the mystery, but the real mystery is how do you make something this delicious at this price point?
I love this wine because sometimes we say, Oh, I just want a simple white wine. And we think that means, oh, they didn’t really have to do much, but to take those grapes, put them together at this price point to create a really nice drinking experience. And what I love about this wine is you can enjoy it by itself or it is food friendly, I would think soft cheeses, a fresh ceviche, shrimp cocktail.
There’s so much you could do with this wine, but really just to sit and enjoy and even the dead of winter, if you want to imagine that you’re walking on the beach in California, in the sun, this is a great little virtual escape. So drink well and enjoy. Cheers.
9 Cabernet Sauvignon Facts
It’s International Cabernet Day the Thursday prior to Labor Day each year (8/31 this year), and thus, we offer fun Cab facts for you! Cabernet Sauvignon is the child of Cabernet Franc crossed with Sauvignon Blanc. And it was most likely not intentional. It occured in the 17th…
Lot 912 2022 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
A Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that satisfies the insatiable demand for the zesty, piquant style of Sauvignon Blanc that New Zealand helped to pioneer.
As you might have heard, there’s been a shortage of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the international market. This is due to a couple of low-yielding vintages (particularly in New Zealand’s Sauvignon capital, Marlborough) combined with an insatiable demand for the zesty, piquant style of Sauvignon Blanc that New Zealand helped to pioneer.
If you’ve been feeling the Sauvignon pinch, Lot 912 is coming to the rescue. This New Zealand white comes from a multi-decade, certified sustainable producer who farms some of the best vineyard sites in the country, combining Old World/European winemaking techniques with ultra-modern style. What’s more, it also comes from a 2020 vintage whose Sauvignons Decanter lauded as punching “above their weight (some well above) in terms of concentration, purity, balance and complexity.”
That certainly describes Lot 912! Zesty to the core, yet also rounded and smooth on entry, this is an exuberant white that effortlessly combines flamboyant aromas of fresh herbs, grapefruit, starfruit, and lemongrass with exotic tropical fruit and citrus flavors—all lingering for what seems like forever on an expressive finish. It’s exactly what NZ Sauvignon fans have been missing during the international shortage, so grab it while you can.
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting of this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
Tasting Video Highlights:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 00:12 Lot 912 Info
- 00:30 Wine Color
- 00:44 The Nose
- 01:18 The Taste
- 01:55 Enjoyment
- 02:04 Pairing
Video Transcript:
Katy Long
Hello. Welcome back to the CH Wine tasting room. I’m Katy Long, and today I have lot 912. This beauty is your quintessential New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. For those of you who know, you know, Sauvignon Blanc is an oak. Fresh, grassy or basis and so satisfying. And this wine delivers on all those points. Look at that. Beautiful. Just lemon green color.It has star bright clarity. I mean, it’s pretty to look at. Not that you’re going to be spending too much time looking at it for sure. Wow. For those of us who like Sauvignon Blanc, there is good reason for it. It is pronounced on the nose. It delivers grassy gooseberry, some might say lemongrass and or baseness. That is really just so fresh.
It almost smells like spring. And that complements the lovely aromas of citrus lemon, maybe even a hint of lime. But then there’s also there’s also this tropical note, this passion fruit, perhaps, maybe even a slightly underbite pineapple. It’s just really pretty on the nose. Let’s give it a taste. Wow. Team, that is a porch pounder. What I mean by that is it’s not necessarily complicated and it doesn’t have to be.
It just delivers pure pleasure in the glass. That roundness of the Mano proteins. Technical term, it is just really nice to balance. Those are basics and citrusy notes. The finish is slightly mineral, almost a hint of salinity. That sea spray. Wow. It’s fresh. It’s refreshing. This is a wine for everyday enjoyment. And I know that I’m going to get a few of these to enjoy whenever the sun is out or even when it’s not.
Pair this with a salad. Goat cheese is a traditional food pairing with Sauvignon Blanc, but it doesn’t need anything. You can enjoy this with friends or by yourself and I encourage you to find all the fun ways that this wine fits into your cellar. So tell me about it in the comments. And until then, cheers.
Lot 910 2022 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
A Jaunty Summer Sipper at an Almost Unbelievable Price
We just have to say we’ve outdone ourselves with Lot 910 2022 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc—and we hope you’ll forgive a bit of self-congratulation because, in short order, you too will be congratulating yourself with such a smart pick-up.
Of course, long-time CH Wine fans already know Washington’s Columbia Valley as a place for fantastic fine wine bargains, and Lot 910 certainly fits that bill. But there’s more going on than successful bargain hunting regarding this Lot. Like France’s Bordeaux region, Columbia Valley is renowned for its excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. And like Bordeaux, the same conditions that favor the growth of excellent Cabernet also make it a prime spot for premium Sauvignon Blanc.
While it says Columbia Valley on the label, our Lot 910 is primarily sourced from one of the best spots in that valley—the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, which is home to Lady Hawk, Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate, and Quilceda Creek, to name a few.
Harvested in the early morning hours and fermented exclusively in stainless steel, Lot 910 captures the assertive, jaunty acidity and energy for which Sauvignon Blanc is famous, making this white evocatively fresh from start to finish. Fully captured are Sauvignon Blanc’s big herbal aromatics and flinty minerality. At the same time, eastern Washington’s legendarily sunny growing season ensured that this is also fleshy and fruity, with exotic tropical fruit flavors, hints of lime zest, and shades of tangy lemon meringue. Simply stated, this Lot is as irresistible as it is affordable.
This Sauvignon Blanc is a balanced, zesty offering that has “house white” for the summer written all over it. With our price, you can easily grab multiple cases of this delicious lot to have at the ready—for dinner prep, taking in longer sunlight hours, or decompressing after a long day.
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting.
Wine Video Topics Include:
- 00:00 Introduction to The Tasting Panel and Katy
- 00:20 About Sauvignon Blanc, Washington wines, Horse Heaven Hills
- 00:51 Color and Legs of Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
- 00:58 The Nose of Lot 910 Sauvignon Blanc
- 01:18 The Palate of Lot 910
- 01:49 Aperitif / Pairing of this Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
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