 |
|
Wine Details
Price:
Description:
The Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon were barrel fermented separately and aged sur lie for 15 months. During the aging, batonnage was performed monthly. Batonnage is the stirring of the wine in the barrels to re-suspend the lees. This process adds creaminess and a rich, full mouthfeel to the wine. When both of the wines were ready, winemaker Sergio Traverso and Phil Wente made a final blend to achieve a perfect balance between the Sauvignon Blanc's crispness and the Semillon's creamier structure.
|
|
Varietal Definition
Sémillon:
A thin skinned grape producing wines of high extract and flavour but soft acidity. In France it combines with Sauvignon Blanc to make the white wines of Bordeaux, most notably the sweet dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Its thin skin leaves it susceptible to the fungus botrytis* the much sought after 'noble rot' in these sweet wine regions. As a varietal it has fared best in Australia, notably the Hunter Valley, where it produces well-rounded wines with lots of tropical fruits and honeyed tones. Here too it is blended with Chardonnay and oak aged to give an added dimension.
|
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.
|
|