Tasting Notes
Working with concrete, stainless steel and large oak vessels to marry textures and weights; working with lees to enhance the saline quality; and pressing longer to build structure and expose a minor note of bitterness on the finish.
A refreshing and vibrant wine with excellent acidity, our 2021 Sauvignon Blanc is the most exceptional vintage to date. Produced from older vines, this wine expresses notes of star fruit, lemongrass, nectarine, lemon zest, and a natural salinity reminiscent of an ocean mist. The weight and texture of the palate are held together by the bright acidity, leading to a lengthy finish. A double or triple decant elevates all elements of this wine now, or it will open on its own in 2026. We are extremely proud of the poise of this wine and know it will be a pillar for California Sauvignon Blanc for years to come.
About the Artwork
Nasturtiums are prevalent throughout California, both planted in gardens and in large patches in the wild. The vibrant flowers and leaves of these sprawling plants are also edible. Known for crafting florally designed cards, Louis Prang created this chromolithograph in 1885 from artwork by Ellen T. Fisher.
About Ink Grade Winery
Family-owned from its inception, Ink Grade crafts single-estate wines of remarkable intensity and grace including Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Ink Grade, Howell Mountain’s first monopole estate, produces the appellation’s greatest classical wines. The estate vineyard was first planted with vines in the 1870s by visionary pioneer, Theron Ink. Farmed organically and biodynamically since its inception and spanning eight hundred wild acres, our Estate is dotted with vine plantings that nurture and respect the natural habitat. Among the steeply terraced vineyards that cling to the iron-rich volcanic soils, there is a wild purity and raw tension here that awakens the senses. Winemaker Matt Taylor, formerly of Araujo Estate and Domaine Dujac, captures this untamed nature and preserves it by producing elegant, single-estate wines that express the pristine mountain fruit and legacy of the land. To do so requires patience and presence, taking the time to listen to what a place has to say and what it will give. This is an art. This is Ink Grade.
