2023Spice Cabinet Sauvignon Blanc
2023Spice Cabinet Sauvignon Blanc
The 2023 Tenor Spice Cabinet Sauvignon Blanc is a single vineyard wine from the Horse Heaven Hills 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 100% 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 76 cases.
Tasting Notes
A radiant pale gold catches the eye. The nose bursts with vibrant gooseberry, delicate white blossom, luscious Meyer lemon curd, toasted almond slivers, and the cool, clean scent of river stones. The palate sings with fresh cut pear, juicy peach nectar, elegant white tea, and the exotic tang of starfruit. The mouthfeel is gloriously plush and broad, a decadent embrace from lees contact and sun-kissed ripeness, yet it dances with a refreshing, quenching zip of acidity. The finish lingers, a crescendo of bright white grapefruit, rich beeswax, and seductive vanilla pod.
Labeled Appellation
Varietal Composition
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Awards & Accolades
"The 2023 Tenor ‘Spice Cabinet’ Sauvignon Blanc is a new wine for this brand coming from this Columbia Valley site. Toasty French bread and hazelnut aromatics combine with shades of green papaya and mango on the nose. The palate is deep and concentrated stuff with a silky texture and loads of mouth-watering freshness. Enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight years. 100% new French oak."
- 95 points, Owen Bargreen, owenbargreen.com
"The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Spice Cabinet Vineyard opens in the glass with a dusty and floral blend of young peaches infused with lemon zest, wildflowers and spice. It's seductively rich, nearly creamy in feel, with masses of ripe pit fruits and hints of sour melon all guided by a zesty acidic core. Spicy and long, the 2023 tapers off with a tinge of ginger and lime pith, youthfully tense yet wonderfully fresh."
-93+ points, Eric Guido, Vinous
"Matured for 11 months in 100% new French oak, the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Spice Cabinet Vineyard has layered scents of nectarine, lemongrass, green herbs and candle smoke. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated and textural with mouthwatering acidity and a long, flavorful finish. 76 cases were made."
-93 points, Erin Brooks, The Wine Advocate
