2022 Black Label Sauvignon Blanc
I think the most compelling Washington Sauvignon Blanc I've ever tasted is the 2022 Trothe Black Label bottling, Clone 1, from block SB16A. While the poetic name of the fruit's source might distract you, the purity of this wine will cut right through it. From the Andrews Family Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, this wine is about elegance and energy. The team at Trothe blew out the canopies to shade the fruit in yet another hot vintage for Washington state, preserving acidity and tension and a tremendous freshness to the fruit. Aromas of lemon candy are inviting and play alongside notes of seaspray, lemon verbena and a light mineral dusting of crushed stone. The palate is filled with smoky flint minerality and intense fruits. Grilled pineapple, rich Meyer lemon pulp and a linger note of oceanic salinity that plays out with gorgeous tension.
- 11.8%
- 8.6 G/L
- 3.13
- 2024
- 2025
Growing Season
Spring 2022 began with extraordinarily cool temperatures and a late spring frost in the vineyard. Our site’s wide canyons funneled cold area away from the vines, protecting the 2022 vintage. Sauvignon Blanc likes shade, so we grew a large canopy in anticipation of another hot year. Though Mother Nature didn’t kick the heat on until August, our preparations kept the fruit cool when it was needed most. Timely work protected delicate floral notes within the fruit while an extended fall ripening period allowed for development of expressive tropical notes.
Vineyard Details
In order to capture a balance of ripe fruit and fresh acidity, Trothe fruit was the first picked in most blocks.
- 100% Sauvignon Blanc
- SB16A
- Clone 1
- 48 cases
Block SB16A
Clone 8, planted 2016, 8x6 spacing, slight northern slope, warm site, elevation 1313 ft., Ritzville silt loam soil
Vinification
We skin-contact soaked our 2022 Sauvignon Blanc for 12 hours after harvest. Once gently pressed and cold settled, the must was fermented and aged sur lie in in once filled French oak. Extended aging on lees with regular stirring brought out this Sauvignon Blanc’s finest varietal characteristics.
