Winery Notes: Vineyards: We source Sauvignon Blanc grapes from throughout Napa Valley, with over a third of the total coming from our estate vineyards in Rutherford, Calistoga, Carneros and southeastern Napa. The wonderful fruit from these sites enables us to produce a full-bodied, crisp and complex Sauvignon Blanc boasting distinctive varietal character and a delectably zestiness. In 2012, a superb white wine vintage in Napa Valley, we blended 87% Sauvignon Blanc with 9% Semillon (to enrich the wine's mid-palate and soften its acidity) and 4% Sauvignon Musqué, an aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc that adds a bright, floral note to the bouquet. Vintage 2012: The 2012 vintage was picture-perfect, with consistently mild summer weather free of rain and significant heat spikes. We were thus able to harvest our grapes at precisely the right moment, capturing an optimal balance of ripe, concentrated fruit flavors and lively acidity. Given these ideal conditions, 2012 yielded a trove of outstanding wines, including this superb Sauvignon Blanc. Winemaking: We harvest our Sauvignon Blanc fruit during the cool nighttime hours to fully capture its fresh, concentrated flavors and crisp acidity. Whole-cluster-pressing of the grapes immediately upon their arrival at the winery maximizes varietal intensity while minimizing the extraction of astringent compounds from the skins. In 2012, we fermented 81% of the juice in stainless steel tanks, 18% in older French oak barrels, and 1% in stainless steel barrels, a mixed-vessel regimen that experience has taught us produces the freshest, liveliest expression of the vibrant Sauvignon Blanc variety.The wine aged for five months in neutral French oak to enrich its texture while maximizing varietal expression. Tasting Notes: The startlingly fresh, vivid aromas of our 2012 Sauvignon Blanc literally leap out of the glass, redolent of just-cut white grapefruit, bracing gooseberry, lime and kiwi, and ripe honeydew melon, with subordinate spice and vanilla scents. On the medium-bodied palate, the wine's ripe grapefruit, guava, melon, green apple and mineral flavors are remarkably rich, intense, concentrated and vibrant, with a long, full finish packed with fresh fruit and mineral/chalky (a la White Bordeaux) tones. This is our 38th vintage of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and it's a doozy, unquestionably one of our best. Savor it over the next 3-5 years as an ideal apèritif wine and with your favorite salad, seafood, poultry and pasta dishes.
