TASTES LIKE: pear, golden delicious apple, lemon custard
MOUTHFEEL: mouthwatering acidity and a refreshingly balanced finish
DRINK WITH: mild Thai green curry, pan-fried scallops, manchego
Vintage Notes
The growing season began with cold temperatures and snowfall in February and March. Bud break was right on time and bloom occurred a bit earlier than normal, on June 1st, thanks to some really nice weather in May.
Summertime temperatures were normal with plenty of heat units. In the second week of August, the weather became milder than normal and allowed us to have a fantastic fall with beautiful hanging time. Harvest started in mid-September and continued into early October. We got some frost in mid-October, but all of our grapes were picked by then.
The 2019 vintage for Amavi Cellars is very expressive of Washington wine as a whole, characterized by good natural acidity, low sugars, and impressive balance.
Amavi Cellars represents winemaking passion, quality and commitment to the Walla Walla Valley. The brand is dedicated to producing estate grown wines that showcase the distinct personality of this region. Since 2001, the winery has established itself as a fixture in the Walla Walla wine community, becoming known for its elegantly-structured wines and beautiful “zen-like” tasting room.
Amavi Cellars signifies love (amor) and life (vita) through its wines, which are 100% estate, 100% certified sustainable, and 100% Walla Walla Valley. Winemaker Jean-François Pellet brings the Walla Walla Valley AVA to life with his hand crafted, terroir-driven wines. Made from the estate’s younger vines and utilizing more neutral oak, Amavi’s elegant wines are ready to drink upon release, but will also age gracefully in seri-ous collectors’ cellars. Amavi Cellars is owned and operated by three families: the McKibbens, the Goffs and the Pellets, who are dedicated to building their dynamic brand.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Amavi Cellars Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $139.99 $11.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Amavi 2019 Semillon
Ok, I had to look this varietal up. Had never heard of it. Most of the early hits I looked at mention its use in French Sauternes, so I was expecting sweet. Fam, this is not sweet. This is obviously a dry bottling more in line with the Aussie experience. This is still very acidic, to the point of being tingly on the tongue, and tart like a green apple. I tried it too cold, so there wasn’t much on the nose. The cheat sheet I referenced mentioned when it ages, you get more vanilla/toast/waxy characters. There’s none of that here that I can discern, which makes sense since this is a 2019 vintage. I think this one may be a hold on to it and try it in 3-5 years kind of bottling if you want something complex. Not that you can’t drink this now, but there are other whites I’d grab first if I’m in the mood for balanced acidity. I’d guess this retails at $20-30, so anything under $13/bottle here would be a good deal. Just make sure you like acidic wine, I do not want to down play that here. It’s bracing. I’ll edit this later after it’s warmed a bit to see if any other characters emerge.
After warming to close to room temp (55-60ish degrees), you get a little more floral on the nose, but the mouth feel is still the same. I’m unable to get much beyond apple/lemon as far as fruit goes. I think this is better warmer, so don’t overchill it.
@mtb002 Thanks for the report. I would agree that I generally enjoy white wines more at “cellar temp” which is also “cool room temp” sometimes, like your 55-60. I think going to refrigerator temp (40) for most good white wines is taking something away, though there are exceptions where you want that level of chill.
@pmarin
I generally like my sweet wines colder, so I had chilled it down with that expectation(Sauternes component) in mind. That’s why I was caught out.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2019 Amavi Cellars Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley - $25 = 15.14%
@chipgreen I’m passing! This offer piqued my interest because I don’t think I’ve seen a Semillon from Washington State offered here before, but then I could be wrong! I have no room for wine! I even consolidated part full boxes so I could get the boxes out of the dining room before the wife dropped the hatchet! Although I mainly drink reds, this year I stocked up on whites for gatherings, then the pandemic put a halt to all that!!
Hijack Topic… Additionally, my last two purchases ended up with one case never making it because of damage and the other arriving with the top completely open! I’ve also had a number of boxes received with tape broken on the bottom sides! It would be nice if a heavier tape could be used since the boxes are very heavy, but then again MorningSave Customer Service failed miserably in answering my questions! Yes, MorningSave! What happened to Casemates Customer Service? What are other Casemates experiencing?
@Boatman72@chipgreen I’ve had a MS package sitting for 11days yet to make it to PB, your wine loss sucks for sure, but my boxes also been a little tight on tape use, found some beginning to be open as well.
@chipgreen WOW!!! This is crazy! Just after I posted you, our doorbell rang! When I opened the door there was a UPS delivery person holding a case of wine! I asked him to recheck the label because I knew I didn’t have any wine on order. Once in the house, I saw it was WCC. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the case. It was a replacement for the order that I never received because it was damaged in transit. I WAS SPEECHLESS AND AT A LOSS FOR WORDS! I checked my email and all I saw was the UPS delivery info.
I hope Casemates or Wine Country Connect can shed some light on the people that made this amazing action happen! I’d like to personally thank them because I felt like I let my fellow NEO Casemates down because this offer was part of a multiple split! I’m sure they will be excited when I tell them the great news! THERE REALLY IS A SANTA(S)!!
@Boatman72@rjquillin@WCCWineGirl@Winedavid49
I wonder if it wasn’t the original case that finally wound its way through the UPS cluster-munch. Possibly mis-categorized as “damaged” instead of “delayed”? I know that WD mentioned Yannick delivered the wine early because he was heading off to France so it’s not like Yannick was around to provide another case.
I suppose there could have been an extra case lying around but it would surprise me if Casemates just went ahead and sent that without notice, especially after refunding the order.
@ericmcki Well, that’s poopy. And I DO love Semillon. One of my favorite white varietals, actually. I wish there was a way to ship to a UPS location in a different state. I’m 45 minutes from both the NC and GA border. (Sigh.)
@veevandyke yes, do it! I’ve picked up twice from a UPS Store in a neighboring state. Some locations charge $5 because it’s alcohol, they say. And then there’s the drive too but if you’re already out n about…or just bored.
@kitkat34@klezman EEEEENteresting!! And good to know. I may have to have a case of this shipped to Charlotte. (Near the Ikea, of course) and then that gives me a really good excuse to go shopping up there. LOL!
@kitkat34@klezman@veevandyke
Not at all difficult to ship to multiple addresses.
To the chagrin of some, I do it all the time.
Just remember you’ll be charged tax as appropriate to the delivery address.
@kitkat34@klezman@veevandyke here’s how I’ve put an alternate address in my Casemates account for my local UPS store…I include my phone number so they could contact me …
My Name, my-phone-number
c/o The UPS Store
the-address-of-the-ups-store
Sorry to be a little late to the party this morning.
Amavi Cellars Sémillon
This light golden straw colored selection came to me last week by surprise. It actually beat the email.
The Sémillon grape is native to the Bordeaux region and my reading leads to this being a minor contributor to dry wines but a major contributor in sweet wines. As was already stated I expected this bottle to be on the sweeter side. It’s not as dry as some Chardonnays. Right from the fridge the acidity pops and I think over powers any fruity notes. First smell gives a wild flower note, but first taste is more sour, unripe star fruit and some citrus notes.
As it warmed my nose thinks it has a sweetness like orange blossom honey. Drinking I start to get green melon and a sweet stone fruit, with a slight mineral (gravel, copper, minerals, waxy). The floral notes increase as it warms and the acid never really lightens. This for me is a typical summer porch sipper. Maybe stick to sea food, salads, light summer fare food.
@jml326 sounds similar to the 2018 bottling we had at the Temecula Gathering in February. Unripe fruit for bitterness, a little waxy. Good analysis overall!
@jml326 Thanks, I appreciate your descriptive terms. Maybe someday I will be able to come up with terms like “unripe star fruit” and “orange blossom honey.” But seriously, your concise explanation both on nose and taste really do help to describe this wine. And it’s one I definitely want to order so I can experience (plus it’s Walla-Walla which is a big plus for me). Deciding on small or case order.
@winer Not all oak is the same. They’re pretty clear here that it’s “neutral” oak. Generally speaking, that means it’s been used previously on 2 or 3 wine vintages and no longer imparts any significant flavour. Instead, it contributes oxygen and other things Clark would be far better at explaining.
@winer Hello there, Eric from Amavi here. It is barrel fermented but it is 100% neutral French oak, so not much in the way oak flavors, just a fermenting vessel, different than steel.
Amavi, great producer here, and have personally been thru the winery several times. Fantastic wine for the $$.
Anyone who has tasted white wine from that region know it’s a bit dry and leaner in style than other areas.
I’ll buy cases when they offer up their Syrah!
2019 Amavi Cellars Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley
Tasting Notes
Vintage Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$292.28 at Amavi Cellars for 12x 2019 Amavi Cellars Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jan 11 - Tuesday, Jan 12
Amavi Cellars Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $139.99 $11.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2019 Amavi Cellars Sémillon
@scottw58 @klezman
so, based on your clue comments, want to split a case?
@rjquillin um, maybe a couple to try. I dunno.
@klezman @rjquillin
Too much wine right now!
Amavi 2019 Semillon
Ok, I had to look this varietal up. Had never heard of it. Most of the early hits I looked at mention its use in French Sauternes, so I was expecting sweet. Fam, this is not sweet. This is obviously a dry bottling more in line with the Aussie experience. This is still very acidic, to the point of being tingly on the tongue, and tart like a green apple. I tried it too cold, so there wasn’t much on the nose. The cheat sheet I referenced mentioned when it ages, you get more vanilla/toast/waxy characters. There’s none of that here that I can discern, which makes sense since this is a 2019 vintage. I think this one may be a hold on to it and try it in 3-5 years kind of bottling if you want something complex. Not that you can’t drink this now, but there are other whites I’d grab first if I’m in the mood for balanced acidity. I’d guess this retails at $20-30, so anything under $13/bottle here would be a good deal. Just make sure you like acidic wine, I do not want to down play that here. It’s bracing. I’ll edit this later after it’s warmed a bit to see if any other characters emerge.
After warming to close to room temp (55-60ish degrees), you get a little more floral on the nose, but the mouth feel is still the same. I’m unable to get much beyond apple/lemon as far as fruit goes. I think this is better warmer, so don’t overchill it.
@mtb002 Thanks for the report. I would agree that I generally enjoy white wines more at “cellar temp” which is also “cool room temp” sometimes, like your 55-60. I think going to refrigerator temp (40) for most good white wines is taking something away, though there are exceptions where you want that level of chill.
@pmarin
I generally like my sweet wines colder, so I had chilled it down with that expectation(Sauternes component) in mind. That’s why I was caught out.
@mtb002 Thank you for the report. Interesting info on the Sem.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2019 Amavi Cellars Sémillon, Walla Walla Valley - $25 = 15.14%
If anyone from NE OH feels like pulling the trigger, I am good for 2-3 bottles.
@chipgreen I’m passing! This offer piqued my interest because I don’t think I’ve seen a Semillon from Washington State offered here before, but then I could be wrong! I have no room for wine! I even consolidated part full boxes so I could get the boxes out of the dining room before the wife dropped the hatchet! Although I mainly drink reds, this year I stocked up on whites for gatherings, then the pandemic put a halt to all that!!
Hijack Topic… Additionally, my last two purchases ended up with one case never making it because of damage and the other arriving with the top completely open! I’ve also had a number of boxes received with tape broken on the bottom sides! It would be nice if a heavier tape could be used since the boxes are very heavy, but then again MorningSave Customer Service failed miserably in answering my questions! Yes, MorningSave! What happened to Casemates Customer Service? What are other Casemates experiencing?
@Boatman72 @chipgreen I’ve had a MS package sitting for 11days yet to make it to PB, your wine loss sucks for sure, but my boxes also been a little tight on tape use, found some beginning to be open as well.
@chipgreen WOW!!! This is crazy! Just after I posted you, our doorbell rang! When I opened the door there was a UPS delivery person holding a case of wine! I asked him to recheck the label because I knew I didn’t have any wine on order. Once in the house, I saw it was WCC. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the case. It was a replacement for the order that I never received because it was damaged in transit. I WAS SPEECHLESS AND AT A LOSS FOR WORDS! I checked my email and all I saw was the UPS delivery info.
I hope Casemates or Wine Country Connect can shed some light on the people that made this amazing action happen! I’d like to personally thank them because I felt like I let my fellow NEO Casemates down because this offer was part of a multiple split! I’m sure they will be excited when I tell them the great news! THERE REALLY IS A SANTA(S)!!
@Boatman72 @chipgreen
tagging @winedavid49 and @wccwinegirl
'cause they really try to make things right.
@Boatman72 @rjquillin @WCCWineGirl @Winedavid49
I wonder if it wasn’t the original case that finally wound its way through the UPS cluster-munch. Possibly mis-categorized as “damaged” instead of “delayed”? I know that WD mentioned Yannick delivered the wine early because he was heading off to France so it’s not like Yannick was around to provide another case.
I suppose there could have been an extra case lying around but it would surprise me if Casemates just went ahead and sent that without notice, especially after refunding the order.
If anyone in the DMV gets an inkling for a case I’d take a few (3?4?) off their hands if that helps sway.
So I bought an Amavi red earlier.
Why no shipping on this one to SC? Typo maybe?? (Hopefully?)
@winedavid49
@veevandyke Can’t ship there anymore – always a balance between state fees and number of customers and didn’t pencil out anymore, sorry.
@ericmcki Well, that’s poopy.
And I DO love Semillon. One of my favorite white varietals, actually. I wish there was a way to ship to a UPS location in a different state. I’m 45 minutes from both the NC and GA border. (Sigh.)
@veevandyke yes, do it! I’ve picked up twice from a UPS Store in a neighboring state. Some locations charge $5 because it’s alcohol, they say. And then there’s the drive too but if you’re already out n about…or just bored.
@kitkat34 @veevandyke Or if you have a friend who wouldn’t mind receiving for you.
@kitkat34 How do you do that? Don’t you have to have an address in said state to pick up at an access point there?
@kitkat34 @veevandyke How would they know? You use the access point as the delivery address and that’s that.
@kitkat34 @klezman EEEEENteresting!! And good to know.
I may have to have a case of this shipped to Charlotte. (Near the Ikea, of course) and then that gives me a really good excuse to go shopping up there. LOL!
@kitkat34 @klezman @veevandyke
Not at all difficult to ship to multiple addresses.
To the chagrin of some, I do it all the time.
Just remember you’ll be charged tax as appropriate to the delivery address.
@kitkat34 @klezman @veevandyke here’s how I’ve put an alternate address in my Casemates account for my local UPS store…I include my phone number so they could contact me …
My Name, my-phone-number
c/o The UPS Store
the-address-of-the-ups-store
Sorry to be a little late to the party this morning.
Amavi Cellars Sémillon
This light golden straw colored selection came to me last week by surprise. It actually beat the email.
The Sémillon grape is native to the Bordeaux region and my reading leads to this being a minor contributor to dry wines but a major contributor in sweet wines. As was already stated I expected this bottle to be on the sweeter side. It’s not as dry as some Chardonnays. Right from the fridge the acidity pops and I think over powers any fruity notes. First smell gives a wild flower note, but first taste is more sour, unripe star fruit and some citrus notes.
As it warmed my nose thinks it has a sweetness like orange blossom honey. Drinking I start to get green melon and a sweet stone fruit, with a slight mineral (gravel, copper, minerals, waxy). The floral notes increase as it warms and the acid never really lightens. This for me is a typical summer porch sipper. Maybe stick to sea food, salads, light summer fare food.
@jml326 sounds similar to the 2018 bottling we had at the Temecula Gathering in February. Unripe fruit for bitterness, a little waxy. Good analysis overall!
@jml326 Thanks, I appreciate your descriptive terms. Maybe someday I will be able to come up with terms like “unripe star fruit” and “orange blossom honey.” But seriously, your concise explanation both on nose and taste really do help to describe this wine. And it’s one I definitely want to order so I can experience (plus it’s Walla-Walla which is a big plus for me). Deciding on small or case order.
@jml326 Thank you for reviewing. Appreciate your descriptions.
@jml326 @radiolysis I don’t even remember having that bottle at the gathering. Wow.
@klezman I remember talking it over with Sparky and Bill. Too much of my brain seems dedicated to the “what” and “when” of drinking as well.
@jml326 @klezman @radiolysis I miss our gatherings, especially the NOVA ones long ago…
OK thanks I just replied to LabRat report. please go ahead and delete my original post. thanks for the support.
They had me until “oak.” If this had been stainless I’d be all over it.
@winer
What is it about oak that has you hesitating? I feel like if this wine had been in stainless, it would have come out rather harsh.
@mtb002 @winer
Yeah I have never had Semillon of any kind done in stainless?
@winer Not all oak is the same. They’re pretty clear here that it’s “neutral” oak. Generally speaking, that means it’s been used previously on 2 or 3 wine vintages and no longer imparts any significant flavour. Instead, it contributes oxygen and other things Clark would be far better at explaining.
@winer Hello there, Eric from Amavi here. It is barrel fermented but it is 100% neutral French oak, so not much in the way oak flavors, just a fermenting vessel, different than steel.
Amavi, great producer here, and have personally been thru the winery several times. Fantastic wine for the $$.
Anyone who has tasted white wine from that region know it’s a bit dry and leaner in style than other areas.
I’ll buy cases when they offer up their Syrah!
OK pushed me over the edge (some would argue I’ve been close to edge for a while now anyway – maybe in general…)
/giphy little-philanthropic-dancer
@pmarin @winedavid49, I think all of winedavid’s customers are Lemmings, that Edge is so easy to jump off of…