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La Randonnée Wines 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Golden Leaf Vineyard
A Trek to Wine
Growing up in Colorado, Kevin loved the outdoors, working as a wrangler and a ranch hand; Mother Nature was always at the forefront—the open skies, the solitude of nature, the peacefulness of the great wide open. Contrast that with his technical acumen, love for solutions and deconstructing the way things work, Green graduated with a degree in engineering yet the outdoors still called his name. He relocated to Portland, Oregon for a new job right out of college—he knew very little about the area, but it was an entry point into wine. While working as an engineer by day, he took some winemaking classes and met some local vintners within the Willamette Valley community.
Yet Green still had an itch to see the world. An opportunity came up which allowed him to go overseas and work in Ireland. In Ireland, he met the love of his life—his wife, Clodagh, and experienced the world of wine firsthand as Ireland is a global import hub. His insatiable curiosity went off the charts as he tried different varieties from France, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Kevin and Clodagh decided to move back to the Willamette Valley and make a go at the wine industry. Green was still working as an engineer while he methodically transitioned into the wine business full-time. Starting off with internships in New Zealand and Burgundy in France, Green landed his first wine job at Montinore Estate where he worked three years as the assistant winemaker and viticulturist. From there, he moved on to Apolloni Vineyards where he is currently the winemaker.
In 2014, Green started his own label, La Randonnée Wines, which is French for a walk or trek, and ultimately pays homage to Kevin and Clodagh’s everlasting journey of finding answers to complex problems while exploring new opportunities in the pursuit of excellence.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
La Randonnée Wines, Hillsboro, Oregon
2023 Sauvignon Blanc Golden Leaf Vineyard
Although this is the first time that La Randonnée has worked with fruit from the Umpqua Valley, I have always been intrigued by the rolling hills and Oregon White Oak savanna in this part of Oregon. It reminds me of the Ireland countryside, albeit without the stone fences, and Ireland is not blessed with as many oak trees.
The Sauvignon Blanc block at the Golden Leaf Vineyard is relatively new, having been grafted over approximately 4 years ago. We were fortunate enough to get the entire block of fruit, thanks to a good connection from our friend Dominique Mahé, the winemaker at Furioso Vineyards.
The fruit was picked on 9/15/2023 in a very warm growing season for the Willamette Valley, but fortunately one which was somewhat moderate for the Umpqua Valley. The fruit was destemmed and immediately pressed on 9/16, after returning to the winery and refrigerating the fruit overnight. The fermentation took place in a “Flex Tank” which mimics a neutral barrel in terms of oxygen transmission. Racked on February 6th to stainless steel and sterile filtered and bottled on 3/26.
The wine shows gentle grassy and spicy aromas, as well as grapefruit and more complex fruits. Crisp and lively on the palate this wine will pair wonderfully with shellfish and other seafood, asparagus in season and spinach tarts. For meat dishes, pair the sauvignon blanc with grilled chicken, pork and lightly spicy foods such as Thai, Indian and Mexican foods and some sweeter foods as well.
La Randonnée is French for a hike or trek but genuinely comes from Kevin’s life path. An independent series of decisions throughout his life have led to adventurous journey full of new creative opportunities. Kevin & Clodagh met in a Hillwalking club in Ireland from which Clodagh hails and they invite you to join them on their Randonnée!
Bottled on 3/26/2024. 100 cases produced.
A Cellar 503 selection in August 2025, Transplanted Umpqua Valley | Sauvignon Blanc
