Silicone on Sapphire- 2018

There was a belief that the Willamette Valley bore a passing resemblance to far-northeastern Italy long before we were even sure there were any of Friuli’s native grapes planted here. The quality and tenor of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay reminded us of the Collio and so when we had the ability to acquire a minuscule amount of Ribolla Gialla and Tocai Friulano, we jumped at the chance.

This wine might be the most important we make. It’s inspired by the tradition of blended white wines from that corner of Italy and is composed of 26% Ribolla Gialla, 8% Tocai Friulano, and 33% each Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. This was done partially for practical reasons (there are a total of one and a quarter rows of the Ribolla/Friulano at Omero Vineyard) and partially because both grapes do so well as blending components. Ribolla has an austerity to it that provides structure and spine, while Friulano is blessed with beautiful fruit but lacks some acidity. Pinot Blanc seemed to heighten those grapes’ characteristics and Chard provided a beautiful background texture.

If we had to pick a single word to describe this wine, it would be “aristocratic.” It always strikes us as exceptionally powerful, but highly composed—like someone who’s deeply interesting to talk to but is interested in the formality of a conversation in its own right. Silicone on Sapphire is a mineral wine, first and foremost, with white fruit (tart peach, pear) and citrus-oil flavors playing a supporting role. It’s a wine that should age beautifully, putting on weight and complexity with between three and ten years in bottle, though early examples have disappeared dangerously quickly.

Like our other wines, it was fermented by native yeasts in barrel (a stainless barrel in the case of the Ribolla/Friulano). We assembled the blend in August following the vintage and racked the wine to stainless steel tanks for a further six months of aging on its lees before bottling.

66 cases produced. ($27)