WINEMAKER NOTES
The beauty of Sauvignon Blanc is captured in its freshness, and the traditional techniques used by Winemaker Christophe Paubert preserve that splendor. Our Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from two distinct vineyards in the Oakville and Stags Leap District AVAs, with a majority coming from Gamble Ranch in Oakville and the rest from Stags Landing vineyard in Stags Leap.
The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc was aged for six months in 20% new oak, 50% neutral oak and 30% stainless steel. It opens with vibrant key lime pie, pink grapefruit and underripe pineapple scents with touches of wild thyme and elderflower. The medium-bodied palate delivers mouth-coating citrus flavors with loads of mineral sparks and a racy backbone, finishing long and minerally. 9,011 cases were made.
VINEYARD NOTES
Our Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from two distinct vineyards in the Oak Knoll and Stags Leap District AVAs, with a majority coming from Gamble Ranch in Oak Knoll and the rest from Stags Landing vineyard in Stags Leap. Located in the southern part of Napa Valley, Oak Knoll is optimal for growing Sauvignon Blanc, providing sufficient sun exposure for ripening and cool marine fog for maintaining natural acidity. Sauvignon Blanc planted here shows flavor complexity and refined aromatic expression, ideal for our bottling. Further up valley at Stags Landing, the vineyard is near the Napa River and contributes richer, riper toned Sauvignon Blanc fruit, as well as the distinctive minerality found in Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
WINEMAKING NOTES
After a 24-hour maceration period designed to extract color and flavor from the freshly-harvested grapes, the juice was gently “bled” off the skins in a traditional saignée method of rosé winemaking. Fermentation followed in neutral oak barrels to capture the varietal’s natural acidity and delicate fruit flavors. The young wine was racked off the lees immediately after fermentation to preserve its freshness and aged for three months in neutral oak barrels.
James Suckling 92 Points
Wine Advocate 90 Points
