2018 Cameron Winery, White Blend “Giuliano” Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon.
One of best kept secrets of Oregon is Cameron Winery’s Northern Italian inspired whites, especially this Giuliano, which is a blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc), Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris) and Auxerrois with a small bit of perfumed Moscato (Muscat) that winemaker John Paul, a huge fan of Friuli and Alto Adige whites, gives heightened aromatics in this gorgeous crisp dry wine. Paul ferments his “Cameroni” (Italian style) whites in stainless in mostly separate lots with a special cultured yeast and limited lees aging to promote clarity, purity and freshness with this blended white seeing a bit more bottle age to allow the high acidity to calm a bit and let some texture to develop, all of which prove magically here in his 2018 version, one of the best yet, it is a wine to get really excited about, it shows exceptional detail and quality. Cameron known for their classic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, some of the most sought after and famous in the region, also do Nebbiolo, another Italian inspired effort worth chasing down!

The light to medium bodied 2018 Giuliano Bianco delivers precise layers and mineral charm with an array of zesty citrus, with lemon/lime, tart peachy stone fruit along with hints of melon, quince, kumquat as well as jasmine, orange blossom, spearmint and saline infused wet rock. This is absolute delicious stuff, serious in quality, but easy to love and it drinks great with or without food, though it would shine with briny sea foods, in particular I would love to have another few bottle for oysters and or clam dishes. That said, this wine has structure and substance to handle richer cuisine too as well as Alpine cheeses, when it opens up it gains even more palate impact, while retaining its refreshing character. Coming from holistic and dry farmed vines in the Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills AVA with Cameron’s grapes being grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fungicides, making the wine feel more natural and with the Jory (volcanic) soils adding complexity and a spicy element. Be sure to look for this one, it is just fabulous and should go for 3 to 5 years with ease.
($30 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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