2016 Ovum ‘Big Salt’ White Blend

Region: Elkton < Oregon
Grapes: Riesling, Gerwürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc Rosé, Muscat
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic, 30 year-old dry-farmed vines, vineyard overlooks the ocean, all grape varieties co-fermented in stainless steel, no additions except a small amount of SO2
Winemaker: John House

In a lot of ways this wine represents truly great American wine. First, a great story – a couple falls in love working at a winery, decides to go off on their own and make natural, terroir-driven wines out of the best raw material they can find. Second – a price that removes any pretension and makes it appropriate for frequent enjoyment, and third – it’s DELICIOUS. Ovum is a project from John House and his wife in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, who source the fruit for ‘Big Salt’ from an organic ocean-facing vineyard that gets extreme wind conditions – a combination of grit and saltiness that totally comes across in the wine – along with floral, honeysuckle and tropical fruit notes balanced by chalky texture and pebbly minerality. Like a Hawaiian garden planted in the middle of Germany’s Pfalz region. Aromatic but not sweet. A supremely satisfying sipper, and excellent food wine to boot.