Rancho Zabaco Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2003

After harvest, the grapes selected for this wine were not crushed or destemmed, but instead proceeded as whole clusters directly to our membrane press using very minimal pressure.  The must was then chilled for at least 24 hours to allow most of the solids to cold-settle, and then the clear juice was racked off into tank and barrel for fermentation. Just over one quarter of the blend was fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel for 25 days, to extract the most subtle and complex characteristics of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  The remaining three-quarters of the blend was barrel fermented at cool temperatures, adding a toasty oak undertone to the wine.  The wine did not go through malolactic fermentation in order to retain all the classic Sauvignon Blanc varietal character.  It was lightly fined and filtered prior to bottling.

"The pungent scent of lime keeps this wine cool and tight, even as the flavor is rich as nectarine jam. It has a deep sauvignon scent and flavor, with an edge of green that sharpens it for food. Chill this for bay scallops sauteed with leeks."
-Wines & Spirits