Isla Vermentino

Named for Brianne Day’s niece Claire Isla, this is one of Oregon’s most singular white wines. Layne Vineyard in the Applegate Valley was established in 1975 by Roger Layne — one of the region’s original pioneers — and sits at 1,600 feet elevation on Kubli Bench, accessible only by a single-lane dirt road hemmed by ravines, with manzanita and madrone scraping the truck windows. The well-draining alluvial topsoils over granitic bedrock, combined with the extreme daily temperature swings at this elevation, push the Vermentino to full ripeness while retaining bright, racy acidity. Brianne ferments and matures in a blend of 500L and 288L neutral barrels, native yeasts only, and bottles unfined and unfiltered. The result is a Vermentino unlike anything made in Italy or Sardinia — tropical and salty, high-toned and precise, distinctly Applegate.