Longtime Washington winemaker has 15-year history with Sagemoor fruit, will become exclusive winemaker for estate wines
4 March – Today, Sagemoor announced exceptional Washington state winemaker Aryn Morell will become the exclusive winemaker of Sagemoor wines. Morell joins Sagemoor after nearly 15 years in the Washington wine industry, as winemaker at Matthews, Tenor, Mullan Road and others, as well as his own Alleromb and Morell-Pena project. Morell and Sagemoor’s working relationship dates back to 2007, when he first began featuring Sagemoor fruit in his wines, making him a natural choice to lead Sagemoor into the future.
“We started making wine with a vision of showcasing the unique and iconic fruit of Sagemoor Vineyards,” said Kent Waliser, Director of Wine and Grape Sales for Sagemoor Vineyards. “We have successfully built relationships with lovers of our wine and now see bringing our winemaking in-house and under one winemaker as our best opportunity to continue our growth.”
Under Morell, Sagemoor wine production will be located in Walla Walla, where Sagemoor recently expanded to include Southwind Vineyard and the iconic Glass House. Sagemoor first leapt into making estate wines with the 2014 Stars in a Row Cabernet Sauvignon, and has since expanded to add Miguel the Man Merlot/Cabernet Franc, Without Rehearsal Sauvignon Blanc and Estate White Blend. Morell will continue the tradition of these wines, in addition to identifying more opportunities to feature great Sagemoor fruit.
“This is an exciting opportunity to work with historic vineyards and one of the best vineyard teams in Washington state,” Morell said. “Sagemoor has long set the standard in our industry, growing fruit featured in award-winning wines year after year. I look forward to growing the estate wine program, and helping solidify Sagemoor as a true cornerstone of Washington wine.”
In its early years, Sagemoor benefitted from the great talent of winemakers John Abbott (Stars in a Row), Chris Peterson (Miguel the Man) and Ali Mayfield (Without Rehearsal, Estate White Blend, Among Friends, Carving Blocks). Through the early vintages, these three respected winemakers have helped grow Sagemoor and introduce our vineyards to more wine lovers.
“Our Sagemoor family is incredibly grateful for the partnerships we have had with Ali, Chris and John,” Waliser said. “They not only helped build this project, they also helped us highlight the role of our entire team in the process of delivering Washington wine, from soil to sip. We have been fortunate and look forward to continued work with each of them in their own projects and wineries.”
While today’s announcement kicks off a transition for Sagemoor, it reflects more than a year of growth. Over the last nine months, the White Bluffs AVA was announced, encompassing four of the six vineyards, and Sagemoor added Southwind Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. Opportunities to buy Sagemoor wine have also increased significantly, with more restaurants and retailers being added every month. For ongoing updates, follow the news section at SelectionsbySagemoor.com or on Instagram.
