One of my favorite trends of the past decade is the steady improvement in California wines made from Italian varieties. Wineries have been dialing back ripeness and new oak to create food-oriented wines with character, drinkability and fruit balanced by savoriness. Seghesio, a historic, northern Sonoma County producer best known for excellent Zinfandel, has done exactly that with these two white wines. They wouldn’t taste out of place in an all-Italian wine list.

The Seghesio family, originally from Piemonte in Italy, established its first Sonoma County vineyard in 1895. Over the years, they added six more, spanning Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley. The Arneis and Vermentino come from Keyhole Ranch in northern Russian River Valley. 

Seghesio has owned that vineyard since 1961. The 72-acre, gravel and clay-loam vineyard is 40% Pinot Gris, 35% Arneis and 25% Vermentino. The Arneis has been there a long time but, with the new consumer interest in Italian whites, the quantity has increased from 26 vines to 20 acres. Vermentino was added in 2008.

Seghesio reviews (based on samples)

2017 Seghesio Arneis Russian River Valley 91 13.8% 750ml screw cap $22

Lemon-green in the glass with generous aromas of green and yellow apple, delicate white flowers, green tea, mineral and lemon pith. The palate is dry with satisfying weight and noteworthy acidity. The wine’s built for food and laced with bold minerality which is accented by lemon and green apple skin. The extended finish is also very mineral and adds a friendly note of lightly toasted bread. 

There’s a touch of effervescence in the wine due to the screw cap. It dissipates with a little time in the glass and the interval also brings a very pleasant, soft texture to the wine.

2017 Seghesio Vermentino Russian River Valley 91 13.3% 750ml screw cap $22

Light lemon-green in the glass with soft, pretty aromas of nectarine, honeysuckle, lemon blossom, and mineral. There’s medium-plus weight in the mouth and gentle acidity which complements the long flavors of salty mineral, peach pit, lemon and orange pith, and honeysuckle.

The grapes were harvested in multiple passes for greater complexity. Their juice fermented in stainless tanks and concrete eggs. The wine finished with aged sur lie in neutral French oak barrels. As with the Arneis, there’s slight effervescence, which goes away after a few minutes in the glass.

Copyright Fred Swan 2018. Images courtesy of Seghesio. All rights reserved.

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