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Gersing Cellars 2019 Emergence White Wine
Playing jazz in the vineyard
It’s a classic tale. An accomplished young musician heads to the bright lights of New York City to make his fame and fortune. He’s getting gigs, but it’s not quite enough.
So, he… what? He heads to Long Island to work harvest for a winery. Not exactly classic.
Jason Gersing had hit upon the second passion of his life, after the saxophone. Before long, he realized that if he was going to be successful at wine, he’d have to leave New York. Sure, Long Island wine can be drinkable, but it takes a lot of intervention from the winemaker.
After studying enology in France, Jason moved to Oregon and joined Argyle Winery on the business side. Before long, he’d found his way to the Southeast Wine Collective, where his focus is on traditional, natural, and low-intervention winemaking.
As he likes to say, a winemaker should think like a doctor – and take a Hippocratic oath to “first, do no harm” to the grapes! Jason is now producing 800 cases a year – but you can still hear him picking up the sax and playing gigs around Portland.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Gersing Cellars, Portland, Oregon
2019 Emergence White Wine
When you hear “Bordeaux”, you’re thinking red wine, sure. But have you tried White Bordeaux? It’s a classic blend, almost always Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. (Sometimes Muscadell, Ugni Blanc, or even Colombard.)
That’s what Jason Gersing has done here with his 2019 white blend. It’s 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, produced in both stainless and neutral French oak.
And it’s got exactly the profile you’d expect from a White Bordeaux – aromas of lime zest, grapefruit, honeysuckle, lemongrass, and gooseberry. It’s brisk with a strong minerality with flavors of pineapple and kiwi fruit.
What to eat? Anything creamy. Pair this wine with oysters, clams, mussels, white fish – even sushi (especially with avocado.) Or, pair it with pasta with cheese or a cream sauce. Nothing too acidic or it’ll fight with the wine. If you’re pairing with cheese, aim for semi-hard sharp cheeses like feta and aged cheddar, or creamy cheeses like chevre and havarti.
A Cellar 503 selection in July 2020, Old World Wines, New World Style Columbia Valley | Sauvignon Blanc
