Lay of the Lamb - White 2025

AVA: Columbia Valley

Vineyards: Corfu Crossing, Crossfire

Varietal Percentages: 80% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussanne

Alcohol: 14.5%

Cases Produced: 110

 

Production Notes: The fruit was lightly foot-tread and left to macerate on the skins for 3 days before pressing. The Grenache Blanc fraction was inoculated and fermented cold in an 80-gallon clay amphora and neutral oak barrels while the Roussanne was fermented uninoculated in a 180-gallon concrete egg. Lees were stirred weekly until sterile filtration and bottling in February of 2026. The Grenache Blanc fraction underwent no malolactic fermentation while the Roussanne underwent full malolactic fermentation. 

 

Winemaker’s Notes: Admittedly, the Grenache Blanc grape, and its resulting wines, have long perplexed me. Many examples that I have tried seem to have been picked so early that they taste like sour, alcoholic water, Other have been picked later but have succumbed to oxidation and taste like marzipan and bruised apples. So, as a glutton for punishment, I naturally decided to try my hand at it as I figured it must be a difficult variety to get right. What I discovered is that Grenache Blanc, much like its red sibling Grenache, can be disappointing if mishandled but can absolutely sing when given proper care!

 

The addition of Roussanne sourced from Crossfire Vineyard located in the famed Rocks District of Milton-Freewater dialed this wine’s yum-factor up to 11. The nose explodes with pear and honeysuckle by way of the Grenache Blanc while the Roussanne lends tropical notes of mango and a hint of passionfruit. On the palate, expect an initial hit of bright acidity which quickly unfolds into a long, fruity, mouth-filling finish. The Grenache Blanc nay-sayer in me has repented!

                                                                                                            -Brent Roberts, Winemaker