Iterum, Eola-Amity Hills (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Sauvignon Blanc 2023

 Iterum’s Joe Dobbes continues working with Willamette Valley Sauvignon Blanc that he predicts will eventually be “world class.”  He first worked with Oak Grove’s Sauvignon Blanc in 1989 and remembered it for being so distinctive.  Back then, he was teaming up with Ken Wright at Eola-Hills Wine Cellars.  In 2023 he secured enough fruit to make 125 cases.  Half of the wine was fermented in Acacia barrels with 25% being new French Acacia.  Aged 7 months before bottling, the wine needs no time to reveal its kinship with Sancerre.  It offers intense aromatics of green apple, lime, and flint.  The flavors continue the highly charged, brisk theme with citrus and lychee balancing the mineral and flinty notes.  Nicely textured probably from the Acacia barrels, it concludes on a lingering, palate cleansing note that says bring on the goat cheese.  Not your casual sipping wine, it definitely shows its best attributes with food.