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Wine Details
Price:
$15.00 per bottle
Description:
The evolution of our Sauvignon Blanc over the last decade demonstrates how important it is to adapt both viticulture and winemaking to the individual varietal. We used to grow Sauvignon Blanc in the same cool areas where we grow Chardonnay, but the resulting wine was too grassy for my taste. We shifted our vineyards further north into warmer microclimates of the Napa Valley and adjusted the trellising in a way that allowed aromas and flavors of stone fruit --- especially apricots --- citrus, quince and even lemongrass to come through clearly. Then, I showcased this fruit and layered the flavors by using two different fermentation techniques. Oak aging added a note of spicy clove and vanilla, and Im very pleased with the results.
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Varietal Definition
Sauvignon Blanc:
Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California — at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety — and often assumes the moniker ‘Fume Blanc’. This popular synonym, credited to Napa’s Robert Mondavi, derives from the grape’s historic home of Pouilly in France’s Upper Loire Valley, where Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant varietal and goes locally by the name of ‘Blanc Fumé’. When treated with respect and afforded suitable growing conditions, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world’s darlings. Steely, racy acidity, green, gooseberry fruit, asparagus and a grassy, herbaceous character characterize dry wines made from this grape.
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Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is by far the most widely planted grape crop in California and dominates California’s cooler, coastal, quality wine regions. The natural varietal ‘taste and smell’ of Chardonnay is surprisingly unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, as its true character is often guised with dominating winemaking signatures. Chardonnay’s rather subdued primary fruit characteristics lean toward the crisp fruitiness of apples, pears and lemon, but the variety’s full body is capable of supporting a host of complementary characteristics, such as oak, butter and vanilla. Regardless of what is the appropriate style for Chardonnay, the varietal continues to dominate vineyard plantings in every corner of the world. Close attention to clonal selection has made this broad geographic and climactic range of Chardonnay viable in thoughtful viticultural hands.
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