Aquilini Sauvignon Blanc 2020
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Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
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Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Aquilini Sauvignon Blanc expresses a sophisticated and elegant character. Born of the same climate and soils as the winery's Cabernet Sauvignon and Family Blend, this wine generously offers layered complexities with rich aromatics and concentrated flavors. Delightfully focused aromas open with white peach, lychee, citrus, and pineapple. Vibrant acidity surrounds the core of this wine, building texture and volume on the palate, while adroitly balanced by a touch of new French oak. The finish is clean, with lingering mineral and citrus flavors.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bursting with bright citrus tones, the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc Red Mountain offers up aromas of Meyer lemon, citrus blossom, white peach and just-ripe pineapple tones. Medium to full-bodied, the mouthfeel is fresh and clean with a spritely 13.8% alcohol as the mid-palate is balanced with energetics acidity. The wine ends with a crisp, lingering, food-friendly finish that will continue to please for years to come. Only 4,200 bottles were produced. Keep your eye on this producer for great things coming from Red Mountain.
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Wine Enthusiast
The aromas bring notes of fig, herb, citrus and tropical fruit. Full-bodied kiwi and citrus flavors follow. It's an unabashedly warm appellation offering of this variety, with all of the goodness that can bring.
Other Vintages
2019-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
Aquilini wines are the embodiment of passion, family, and the extraordinary potential of Red Mountain, Washington. This unique region shaped by glacial history and Mother Nature's guiding hand, offers profound potential for grape growing. Aquilini wines are the result of the rare confluence of these environmental effects, combined with the old-world craft and heartfelt passion that goes into the art of winemaking.
Driven by their passion for producing exceptional wines that showcase the unique Red Mountain Terroir, the wines are nurtured by the dedication and hard work of the family, who pour their heart and soul into every bottle. The result is a collection of wines that are truly extraordinary and reflect the unique terroir of this special region.
Aquilini wines offer a truly unique experience for wine enthusiasts. You are invited to taste the difference for yourself and discover the magic that goes into every bottle of their exceptional wines.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.