Olsen Sauvignon Blanc

2023
Olsen Sauvignon Blanc

This Sauvignon Blanc presents a sun-kissed straw to goldenrod hue. The nose is rich with orange blossom honey, dried apricot, crème brûlée, lanolin, and chamomile. On the palate, marmalade, saffron, cool honeydew, candied ginger, and elderflower unfold. The mouthfeel is decadently plush, with a broad, enveloping texture. While tension from texture and acidity is present, the richness takes center stage. The finish lingers with oyster shell minerality, praline’s nutty sweetness, and bright lemon curd.

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Labeled Appellation

Columbia Valley

Varietal(s)

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vinification

Barrel fermented at low temperatures, slowly completing primary over two months. Aged in the same barrel that it was fermented in for 11 months (65% new French oak, 35% once used, two 265L cigar barrels and one 228L barrels).

Alcohol

14.9%

Cases Produced

76

Vintage Notes

The 2023 Tenor Olsen Sauvignon Blanc is a single vineyard wine from the Yakima Valley AVA. The winemaking team collaborated with our vineyard manager to restrict yields, resulting in small, concentrated berries. Cool fall nights preserved the wine's freshness while allowing continued flavor development. Hand-harvesting occurred in the early mornings of late September.

Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit was hand-sorted and whole-cluster pressed. The juice was transferred to tanks and cold-settled for 24 hours. The clarified juice was then racked into 65% new French oak. Barrel fermentation was kept at a very slow pace, lasting several months. After fermentation, the wine rested until racking in Spring 2024. Only 3 barrels were made, blended and bottled (unfined and unfiltered) in September 2024, yielding a mere 77 cases.

Expert Reviews & Scores

  • Jeremy Young, International Wine Report

    96 / 100

    Flavors of spiced pear, orange blossom, and beeswax build across the mid-palate, underscored by a faint touch of white pepper and salted nougat. As the wine opens, its mineral-driven backbone becomes more pronounced, adding precision and verve to the fruit’s richness. The finish is long and detailed, marked by a lingering trace of lemon curd and powdered stone. Highly recommended.

    Owen Bargreenowenbargreen.com

    96 / 100

    The 2023 Tenor [Olsen] Sauvignon Blanc comes from this slightly cooler site set in the Yakima Valley. Vines for this wine are located in the higher portion of the vineyard. The aromatics are gorgeous with passion fruit and mango giving this an exotic feel. The palate is weightless and dense with beautiful freshness. This is nothing short of a stunning new bottling that has some really good aging potential.

    Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate

    95 / 100

    The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Olsen Vineyard was matured for 11 months in 65% new French oak. It has gregarious scents of candied peaches, apricot, exotic spices, tropical flowers and tarragon. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated and satiny. Its generous, honeyed flavors are balanced by vibrant acidity, and it has a very long, layered finish.

  • Virginie Boonejebdunnuck.com

    94 / 100

    A creamy, rounded texture gives the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Olsen Vineyard a compelling complexity and memorability. White flower aromas accent rich, full-bodied, and well-integrated layers of baked apple and pineapple kept fresh in savory minerality.

    Eric Guido, Vinous

    93 / 100

    Tropical melon and florals give way to a dusting of confectionary spice, wet stones and mint accents as the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Spice Cabinet??? Vineyard blossoms in the glass. Silken and pliant, the 2023 seems to hover across the palate, graceful and finessed yet still potent and impactful, with masses of mineral-inflected orchard fruit. Pleasantly chewy, the 2023 resonates with tension, as a lemony concentration lingers over a crunchy layer of minerality. This is easily one of the top Sauvignon Blancs that I've tasted from Washington State.

    James Sucklingjamessuckling.com

    93 / 100

    This white is something different, exhibiting exuberant honeysuckle, acacia honey, dried apricots, lemon curd, yellow-fleshed nectarines and candied ginger. Round, full-bodied and luscious, it’s concentrated with a honeyed character while remaining dry. Made from low-yielding vines with a proportion of botrytised grapes.

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